Stine 2 Grace Stine 14 June 2020 It’s Up To Us: Drivers ed It was just a normal day; sunny, a bit cold, but nothing out of the ordinary. The school bell rings, class begins, and it's just another day of high school. Thirty minutes later, my world fell apart. An upperclassman had pulled out in front of my dad on his way to work, causing a crash that sent my dad to the hospital for weeks to fight for his life. A majority of the teenagers in my area participate in drivers ed but practice unsafe driving habits. These bad habits are not coming from the driver instructors: these habits are coming from our parents. In my experience, adults often believe that because of their extended experience driving, tapping out a quick text, or checking an email is no big deal while driving. The notion that the number of years an individual has of driving experience makes them unsusceptible to making a fatal or devastating mistake driving is dangerous. The adult displays a blatant disregard for the safety of their passengers and their fellow drivers on the road with them at the time. If an accident would occur due to a lapse in attention to the road, all passengers and the driver themselves would be at risk of being injured or even killed. Furthermore, the adult is displaying a negative behavior that any child or teenager in the car is likely to imitate. I truly believe that drivers ed is vital in giving teenagers excellent role models for how they should drive. However, there are nevertheless issues with the driving of the older generation that must be tackled as well. Taking steps to become a better driver and influence those around you means not allowing bad driving habits to fester and grow. These include putting phones out of reach and turning off the radio. By my generation practicing safe driving habits now, the resulting number of deaths will continue to decrease as our children mirror these habits. Our generation is the future of today, and the habits that we cultivate now will have a profound effect on the generation of tomorrow.