The number of deaths due to unsafe driving has significantly increased over the years. As a teen driver, I have found myself getting more comfortable with the road, which is where things could go wrong. In order to reduce car accidents, I believe all drivers should be taught the importance of respect and safety before diving. My father has taught me to respect my car in many ways. If something seems off with my car, I know that I need to figure it out. If you disrespect the car, it will disrespect you. Safety is the most important factor of driving. If you are not safe on the road, you put your life in danger, and those around you as well. Texting and driving has become illegal in my state, but people still do it. I believe every car should have a phone holder installed in the car, to support hands free driving. Along with that, speeding is also overlooked. Many police officers have allowed people to go five over the speed limit, but this encourages speeding. In my drivers education class, the teacher told us we were fine to go five over. This allows people to disrespect the car and the road, causing collisions later on. Car safety is also overlooked. If your car cannot handle more than 55 miles per hour, don’t go on the expressway. When you do, and you have to go slower, you don't accommodate the flow of traffic causing road rage and frustration. That’s another thing we need to work on educating the youth on, road rage. Nowadays, flipping each other off, honking horns, and pulling over to fight are all things that people are USED to seeing. Personally I think that is outrageous. We need to be taught to act as grown adults, to smile and nod, and to not let it bother us. Many road workers are killed daily due to negligence of drivers. If you see the orange road work signs, it should be known to slow down and remain cautious. Many completely disregard this, and go the speed limit. This is yet again, another example of disrespect.
Personally, I try my best to follow the rules of the roads. I follow the flow of traffic, take care of my car, and remain vigilant to those around me. All this has seemed to pay off, but here is one example of how my respect has been awarded. I decided to leave school and go get coffee and baked goods with my best friend. We went to the “rich” neighborhood because they have a cute cafe in town. Here we sat for an hour or so, drinking an overpriced coffee, and talking about the fears we have about college. We thought it would be cool to go to the mall, and I agreed to drive. Usually I’m not the driver in this friendship, but I thought it would be nice to drive her around for a change. As I’m checking my surroundings, backing up, I feel my car come to a halt and hear the dreaded “crunch.” I freak out, pull forward and pray for the best outcome. As I get out of my car, I see my broken taillight on the ground, and a brand new truck parked behind my car. Embarrassment fills me, I call my mom and dad, and wait for them to arrive and help me take care of the situation. I kept telling myself that I needed to be respectful and do the right thing and find this person. After about an hour of waiting, and talking to the police on the phone, I followed their directions and we started writing a note. As my mom finishes it up, we hear the truck start. Two guys come walking up, talking to each other. My heart drops, and I want to cry, but I remind myself that the right thing is to tell the truth and to come up with a solution. When I tell the guy what happened, I wait for the anger to hit him…but it never does. Instead he assures me it was okay, and he laughs at the outcome. His truck had the SMALLEST scratch on it, and my car was dented in and broken.
This moment taught me that my mistakes need to be handled the right way, with respect and honesty. I will forever be grateful that my car took the impact like it did.