The Importance of Safe Driving

The
Importance of Safe Driving


Three
years ago, my aunt and uncle were driving to the Portland, Oregon
airport to board a flight to visit their daughter. On the way there,
one of the tires on their car blew out. They were on the freeway and
driving an older vehicle so the cruise control wasn’t functioning
properly. The car flipped over. My uncle managed to escape with
nothing worse than a broken arm, but my aunt was paralyzed in a
condition known as quadriplegia. In the years since then, my aunt has
made small recoveries thanks to intense physical therapy and doctor’s
appointments. She is now able to complete basic functions such as
eating through the assistance of a specially-made fork. Despite every
effort made however, she is still confined to a wheelchair and unable
to walk.


I
waited until several months
prior
to my eighteenth birthday before getting my driver’s license. After
what
my aunt
went through, driving is something that I take seriously. As a
driver,
I feel
the weight of my responsibility to safety. Going through driver’s
ed was
a
challenging experience because driving didn’t come naturally to me.
That
scared
me, because if there’s one common life skill that I’d like to be
good
at,
it’s driving. That is not a just matter of convenience or talent,
but
safety.
However, the education that I received from my teacher at driver’s
ed
and my
parents during our practice drives helped me feel much more confident
over
time. I took the process at a gradual pace and made sure that I felt
ready
before getting my license.


My
primary concern as a driver
now is
making sure that I am safe and cautious at all times. This includes
checking
my car’s safety functions to make sure they are working properly
and
removing
distractions while driving. When I’m driving, I never text or
search information on my phone, and when I’m in the car with
another driver I
encourage
them to do the same. I believe that staying away from distractions
such as
cellular devices is one of the most important parts of safe driving.
The car accident that my aunt and uncle endured wasn’t caused by
any actions on
their
part, and it still had devastating consequences. Although I may not
be
able to
prevent some things, I can make sure to be safe when it comes to the
aspects
of safe driving that are in my control, such as avoiding
distractions.



As a licensed driver,
I consider
it my
responsibility to be as safe as possible. I do not want to put
anyone’s
life in
danger, whether they are riding in my car or in the vehicle on the
road
next to
me. Driving is a privilege, and I believe that we owe it to one
another
to take
it seriously and encourage those around us to do the same.