The Last Text
2026 Driver Education Round 1
Aran Cross
Tallahassee, FL
These scenarios play out every day, in many different parts of the country, sometimes with completely different outcomes. Many times these accidents could have been prevented if the person driving had taken the time to realize the impact that their actions could have had on others.
While learning to drive, there are many things to remember in order to receive a license to drive a car. There are many road signs and many ways of parking a car, such as parallel parking, in order to be a good driver. However, there is a far more important lesson to be learned by a new driver. Every time a new driver gets into a car, he or she must realize the responsibility that they are about to take on. They are now in charge of the lives of every person in the car, as well as every pedestrian, every cyclist, and every other driver on the road. The lives of many people are now in the hands of this new driver.
While many people view serious crashes to occur only with reckless drivers traveling at high rates of speed, the reality is far more tragic. The majority of serious crashes are caused by drivers who are distracted for only a split second and are traveling at normal speeds. Many of these distractions are caused by drivers who are checking their phones while driving, adjusting the radio, or even falling asleep at the wheel after a long day of work. Some drivers even choose to not wear their seatbelts for short trips, never realizing the potential for serious injury or even death in the event of an accident.
There are over 39,000 fatalities each year in traffic crashes in the United States (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Most of these crashes can be attributed to the actions of the driver or drivers of the vehicles involved in the crash. Behind every statistic is a real person who was in the prime of their life and had great things to look forward to. They were a college student looking forward to graduation, a parent on his or her way home from work, a child on his or her way to school, or a senior citizen on his or her way to pick up groceries from the store.
As a college student I have recently started to gain an appreciation for life as I am approaching graduation and have started to look for jobs as a registered nurse. Nursing is a career of protecting life and of comforting people in times of need. The families of patients can need just as much comfort and support as do the patients themselves. The simple act of not driving while distracted or of not driving while impaired can have the effect of saving the life of someone who you will never meet. Safe driving is not just about following the laws of the road, but also about showing respect for the life of other people.
Safe driving isn’t just about following traffic laws such as those that govern speeding in order to avoid getting a ticket. Instead, safe driving means that every single driver on the road respects every human life on the road. Safe driving means that late arrivals slow down for the safety of other road goers. It means that individuals who have been out drinking or using drugs refuse to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, even for short trips. Above all, safe driving means that the safe arrival of passengers and others on the road is far more important than arriving on time.
We have become a highly connected society through technology. For many of us, that connection creates distractions in our daily lives. Driving requires our complete attention while on the road. Our phone’s notifications, music, maps, and social media can all wait. It’s best to avoid reading, sending, or receiving text messages while driving. If you must communicate, pull over to a safe location to do so. Your life, as well as others on the road, are worth more than to arrive late due to being distracted while driving.
Educated drivers recognize that their behavior on the road can influence other drivers. Young drivers can influence their younger siblings, and friends can influence each other as well. And, of course, there are the children. They are growing up and learning what is normal for drivers on the road. Adults must set good examples for children, to make sure they get into the habit of safe driving and follow the good example that other responsible drivers set.
The driver’s seat is more than a place to sit behind the wheel of a car. It is a position of great trust. The responsibility for the safety and well-being of not only passengers, but also of pedestrians, of bicyclists, and of other drivers on the road is placed on the shoulders of the driver. And no matter what the road is like, no matter what other drivers are like, a driver can always control his or her own actions.
The light will turn green again tomorrow.
Someone's phone will buzz.
Someone will be tempted to look away.
And the light turns green again tomorrow.
The safest drivers aren’t necessarily the most informed drivers.
They are the ones who never forget what is truly riding with them: someone's future.
While learning to drive, there are many things to remember in order to receive a license to drive a car. There are many road signs and many ways of parking a car, such as parallel parking, in order to be a good driver. However, there is a far more important lesson to be learned by a new driver. Every time a new driver gets into a car, he or she must realize the responsibility that they are about to take on. They are now in charge of the lives of every person in the car, as well as every pedestrian, every cyclist, and every other driver on the road. The lives of many people are now in the hands of this new driver.
While many people view serious crashes to occur only with reckless drivers traveling at high rates of speed, the reality is far more tragic. The majority of serious crashes are caused by drivers who are distracted for only a split second and are traveling at normal speeds. Many of these distractions are caused by drivers who are checking their phones while driving, adjusting the radio, or even falling asleep at the wheel after a long day of work. Some drivers even choose to not wear their seatbelts for short trips, never realizing the potential for serious injury or even death in the event of an accident.
There are over 39,000 fatalities each year in traffic crashes in the United States (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Most of these crashes can be attributed to the actions of the driver or drivers of the vehicles involved in the crash. Behind every statistic is a real person who was in the prime of their life and had great things to look forward to. They were a college student looking forward to graduation, a parent on his or her way home from work, a child on his or her way to school, or a senior citizen on his or her way to pick up groceries from the store.
As a college student I have recently started to gain an appreciation for life as I am approaching graduation and have started to look for jobs as a registered nurse. Nursing is a career of protecting life and of comforting people in times of need. The families of patients can need just as much comfort and support as do the patients themselves. The simple act of not driving while distracted or of not driving while impaired can have the effect of saving the life of someone who you will never meet. Safe driving is not just about following the laws of the road, but also about showing respect for the life of other people.
Safe driving isn’t just about following traffic laws such as those that govern speeding in order to avoid getting a ticket. Instead, safe driving means that every single driver on the road respects every human life on the road. Safe driving means that late arrivals slow down for the safety of other road goers. It means that individuals who have been out drinking or using drugs refuse to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, even for short trips. Above all, safe driving means that the safe arrival of passengers and others on the road is far more important than arriving on time.
We have become a highly connected society through technology. For many of us, that connection creates distractions in our daily lives. Driving requires our complete attention while on the road. Our phone’s notifications, music, maps, and social media can all wait. It’s best to avoid reading, sending, or receiving text messages while driving. If you must communicate, pull over to a safe location to do so. Your life, as well as others on the road, are worth more than to arrive late due to being distracted while driving.
Educated drivers recognize that their behavior on the road can influence other drivers. Young drivers can influence their younger siblings, and friends can influence each other as well. And, of course, there are the children. They are growing up and learning what is normal for drivers on the road. Adults must set good examples for children, to make sure they get into the habit of safe driving and follow the good example that other responsible drivers set.
The driver’s seat is more than a place to sit behind the wheel of a car. It is a position of great trust. The responsibility for the safety and well-being of not only passengers, but also of pedestrians, of bicyclists, and of other drivers on the road is placed on the shoulders of the driver. And no matter what the road is like, no matter what other drivers are like, a driver can always control his or her own actions.
The light will turn green again tomorrow.
Someone's phone will buzz.
Someone will be tempted to look away.
And the light turns green again tomorrow.
The safest drivers aren’t necessarily the most informed drivers.
They are the ones who never forget what is truly riding with them: someone's future.
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