Safe Driving

Every American teen dreams of the day that they get their first car and driver’s license. Getting a photo at the DMV with your license is a modern American coming-of-age ceremony that must be shared across social media. So much hard work goes into passing the written test, getting the practice hours, and finally passing the road test. However, that is just where the story starts because from that day forward, it is just you in the car, and you are responsible for keeping yourself, your car, and everyone else on the road as safe as possible. 

As a girl who lives in a rural area, I drive a lot more than my friends. It is a 30-minute drive to the nearest gas station and over a 20-minute drive to my high school bus stop. Each week, I swerve because impatient tourists try to pass in no-passing zones. It's not just drivers making risky decisions; it's speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, unlicensed drivers, and people who don’t know the rules. I believe that driver’s education is very important because it can make drivers more aware and save lives.    

Driver’s education can help drivers in many different circumstances. High schools can offer driver’s education, which can help students learn before they get behind the wheel. Some drivers take private driver’s education if they are having difficulty passing the road exam. Other drivers who get a ticket take driver's education to review the rules of the road, so their insurance doesn’t increase. In driver’s education, you can learn how to read road signs, change lanes, follow safely, follow right-of-way rules, and even drive in different road conditions. 

  I live in Florida, and a common saying is that “If you don’t like the weather, wait 30 minutes.” The weather here can go from a sunny day to dark and heavy rain to what we call "rainshine." Learning to react to these rapid changes is important if you want to drive safely. A wet road may cause issues when you need to stop quickly because of an unexpected issue. Education can also reinforce good habits like checking your mirrors every time you get in the car, wearing your seatbelt, and making sure you can see out of the windows clearly so that, if the weather changes, you can respond quickly. 

Two years ago, I lost a friend in a car accident. It wasn’t likely because of a cell phone because there is no reception where we live, but most likely because she was tired and distracted by something in the car. My grandfather likes to tell the story that when he was a teen, he reached down to turn the stereo station, and by the time he looked up, he was at the top of a tree. In my opinion, a cell phone can be much worse than any other distraction. Using a cell phone can be deadly because you may be tempted to text, check social media, or respond to a notification you feel you need to answer instantly. Distracted driving can come from anything in the car that takes the driver's attention away. Today, you can use technology responsibly by putting away distractions, using talk-to-text, and limiting notifications. 

  Impaired driving is a very serious issue. Local news often reports on people being arrested for impaired driving. Mostly, the focus is on someone going to a club or a bar and driving home drunk. Educating everyone that they can make arrangements for the car and get a ride share is important. Almost as important as choosing a designated driver before going out so they have no alcohol instead of the person who had the least amount of alcohol. Stopping others from driving under the influence can save that person’s life and the lives of anyone who meets them on the road. 

One significant driving experience happened when I was on the way to see a movie with my mom, my sister, and my best friend. A teenage girl was driving ahead of us when a pickup truck pulled out in front of her after the driver looked the wrong way. The crash happened so quickly. I called 911 while my mom helped the girl to the side of the road and stayed with her until the ambulance arrived. The girl was in shock and could barely speak, so my mom called her father. She was fortunate to have been wearing her seat belt, although her car was completely totaled.

The pickup truck landed in a farmer’s field, scattering beer cans across the area. The two men inside were not wearing seat belts and were hurt. Their dog was also thrown from the truck and injured. Volunteers searched for the dog for hours, but they never found him. I still think about how different that day could have been if the driver had simply looked the other way before pulling out. One moment of inattention affected everyone who was there. It was difficult to enjoy the movie afterward because I kept thinking about how quickly a normal day had turned into an emergency.

That experience made the dangers of irresponsible driving feel much more real to me. It showed me that accidents are not always caused by complicated situations. Sometimes they happen because of one poor decision, one missed glance, or one moment of distraction. It also showed me how important seat belts are, because the teenage girl could have been hurt much worse if she had not been wearing hers. Seeing the condition of the people in the pickup truck also reinforced how important it is to make responsible choices before and during a drive.

I want to be a safe driver, and I think preparation is most important. I make sure to check my car for anything wrong and clear dew or ice from the windows before I get in. Once I am in the car, I check that there are no warning lights and put away my phone. I adjust the temperature and put on the music. I make sure that I am in the right headspace to drive, not sick or upset, and then I make the decision to drive. 

Rushing to get to your destination can cause a lot of problems. First, you might be tempted to speed, making it more difficult to stop in an unexpected situation. Second, you might drive more impulsively, changing lanes or following too closely. My mom has a saying: “Getting to school or work on time isn’t worth your life.”  The best thing you can do for everyone is to be a responsible driver by leaving early and being respectful of other drivers on the road. 

Driving safely starts when you are issued a license, but being a safe driver means constantly learning. Drivers must constantly adjust to new laws and technology. Driver’s education is an important part of keeping everyone safe on the road.