Time To Step Up To Improve Driving

     Growing up in a military family has shown me diversity, dedication and great work ethic. I have been employed since I was 14 between childcare, animal care, food service boat and with VyStar Credit Union. Going to college for nursing has been my dream for several years now. I just finished my senior year at West Nassau High School. This year I attended classes to be a Certified Nursing Assistant, I just received my license. I will also be completing my second year with the VyStar Student Internship Program which has been an amazing opportunity. Since being in high school and prior I have joined multiple clubs, all of which are dedicated to community service and leadership. I have dedicated over 1,300 volunteer hours among various community opportunities and plan to continue to serve during and beyond college. One of my most memorable volunteer services included a dental mission trip with Great Shape 1,000 smiles. I assisted with glucose readings, blood pressure readings, instructions for post operative and oral hygiene, OTC medications and chair-side dental assisting. 

     It’s time to step up to improve distracted driving to save lives. The one thing many don't take seriously that needs to be is the distractions that come into play when driving a vehicle. A distraction can be anything that takes away even 1% of your focus from the road. Drivers education is a course in which many young drivers take to prepare them for the road and even for their drivers test. This course helps inform kids of the many challenges and distractions that come into play while driving and how to prevent them. Now even though it is taught does not always mean that it is 100% prevented from happening when driving by themselves. I am currently 17 and while when I had my permit I was way less distracted. I tend to feel like I slacked off on the proper driving mechanism in order for a safe and undistracted drive. Now talking about distractions when in a vehicle the list can go on however some that are most common is texting while driving, friends in the vehicle, and changing the music station. Just these three things that may not seem so bad can be life changing.

Teen driver safety is one of the most important things for the public to know about because each year there are thousands of people who die or end up in a car accident due to distracted driving. Some of the biggest challenges that young drivers face are distractions in the vehicle, they can overcome such distractions whether from friends or their phone by putting their phone across the car or even telling friends they need them to quiet down for just a minute so they can focus. Speaking up during a distraction is just the first step of limiting the challenges and distractions while driving. For me, changing the music station and having friends/family in the car can be the most distracting. I love to talk so when I have family or friends in the car it can be difficult to completely focus on what's going on around me while also continuing on a conversation with someone. Another big one is if the song isn't what I want to hear I have to change it until my favorite song comes on or just one that I don't mind listening to. The longer you have your license you think that these little things aren't distractions but as time goes on they really become even bigger distractions. One big thing that everyone including myself needs to learn is how to break these bad distracting habits from our driving. A way for me to break the bad habit of changing my music station while driving is to put it on a certain station then if I want to change it I must be completely stopped before I can do so. To create the most safe and productive route I believe planning ahead of time and prioritizing the things around me rather than my music will create less distractions in the vehicle. Another way I plan on limiting the distractions in my car while driving is giving myself the courage to tell whoever is in my car whether friends or family may be quiet for a minute or quiet their voice in order for me to have a clearer focus on the road and the people around me. There are many distractions in everyday life, especially when driving , in order to create a safe and proper drive for not only yourself but also the other drivers around you; you must limit or completely get rid of the distractions in your vehicle. 

     To promote young drivers safety, teens, parents, and communities can implement a multi-difference  approach focusing on education, parental involvement, and community engagement to the youngsters on the road. Teens can focus on safe driving practices for themselves and friends, schools can offer a more diverse and enhanced driver's education programs, and communities can support these efforts through awareness and partnerships with other communities to get the word around. Teen drivers have many challenges faced but with the help of themselves, parents, teachers, and their community we can slow down the distractions being faced for the safety of everyone. This creates awareness from their community and elsewhere for others to know about.