The Road Deserves Your Full Attention

Sarah Post

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12 grade

Lincoln Charter School, Denver, NC 28037

The Road Deserves Your Full Attention

Driver education is so important when it comes to driving. I think everyone needs to have a knowledge of things that can happen on the road while driving and how to protect yourself from certain situations that can go wrong. In my town, Charlotte, NC, there is a class called BRAKES (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) whose mission is to “prevent injuries and save lives by training and educating teenage drivers and their parents about the importance of safe and responsible driving”. This course was started by a drag racer, Doug Herbert, who lost his two sons in a car crash in 2008. Herbert started this course for teens to do with their parents that consists of training them what to do in certain situations by actually getting behind the wheel and simulating real life situations, such as maintaining control on an icy road. I think classes such as these are what can save lives when things go wrong on the road therefore there should be more opportunities, such as this class, all around the country for driver education.

While I have not been in a bad car accident, I have had close friends experience one. While driving with my friend on day, we turned right at a stop light, then had to pull over due to an ambulance approaching behind us. The ambulance ended up stopping right in front of us due to a wreck. When we looked at the crash that had occurred probably 10 minutes prior to us being there, we saw three girls from our school sitting on the curb next to the crashed car. Suddenly, my and my friend’s upbeat mood took a turn when we realized that a car accident is something that can happen in the blink of an eye before you can even comprehend what’s occurred. I think an important thing to remember when driving is that nothing is more important than your safety. So whether it’s responding to a text, or changing the playlist on your phone, or whatever the distraction, it can wait because the second you pull in to your destination, you should be thankful you made it there safely, because that is not always the case for others.

https://putonthebrakes.org/our-story