I
looked at my dad, my dad looked at me, and then we screamed. My dad
and I had just been T-boned by a car going at least 35 miles an hour.
As we crossed a busy intersection, another car came speeding out of
nowhere, slamming into the passenger side of the car. It was the
exact same drive we had done hundreds of times before; my dad was
dropping me off at the bus stop so I could go to school. And yet,
that day was nothing like the others that came before it. Usually my
days don’t start off with police officers asking me questions or
gigantic dents directly behind where I was sitting. Luckily nobody
was severely injured, but this experience had a big impact not only
on the car, but on me as well. It changed the way I felt as a driver,
but it also helped me come up with a tip to be a better driver.

I
think drivers ed is incredibly important in reducing the
number of driving-related deaths. In drivers ed, you don’t
just learn which pedal is the gas and which is the brake; you learn
the rules of the road. Knowing what to do in different types of
intersections is something that doesn’t come as naturally as
turning the steering wheel. That’s why it’s so important to drill
this information into me and other teenager’s brains. But driver’s
education shouldn’t stop once you get your certificate and
mandatory hours. You should keep learning, keep improving, and keep
challenging yourself to be a better driver.

I
think one step we can all take to become better, safer drivers is to
use what I call the Hot Soup Test. The test goes something like this:
if you wouldn’t do an action when you’re carrying a big bowl of
hot soup, don’t do it when you’re driving. You wouldn’t hold
the bowl with one hand to text someone, right? So don’t text and
drive! If you were carrying hot soup, you’d also avoid sudden
speeding or jerky braking, and instead, try to be more gradual and
calm in your driving. To avoid spilling on yourself, you’d be a bit
cautious, but still calm and steady–that is the exact attitude we
should have when driving. While this test can be a bit silly (it
definitely is), it’s also an easy way to explain safe driving to
people, especially to younger drivers who might be just starting out.


Being
in a car crash is definitely not fun. But if everyone on the road
follows a few simple steps, we’ll be on the right path, or rather,
street. If you know the rules of the road, you’ll know what to do
when it matters. Together, we can help save the lives of thousands of
Americans every year. So don’t ever be afraid to ask the more
experienced drivers in your life for help. And if you’re still
unsure, just use the Hot Soup Test!