What
leads me to be a better driver

Often,
we hear about people who have an intense fear of flying in airplanes
because of the chance of a fatal crash, yet they have no fear of
driving in cars. This seems a bit irrational when you consider that
there is a higher chance to be in a car crash than in a plane crash.
There are so many risks to be a driver today due to an array of
things such as alcohol, drugs, and driver distractions in the form of
phones, listening to music, young children, or pets. That’s why it
is important to be informed about the dangers of the road so the
roads can be safer. Being a safe driver is important to me because I
have had the experience of being in a car accident and seeing the
impact reckless driving has had on my family specifically.


One
day, my mom, sister, and I were driving from CT to NYC on route 15.
My mom was driving with the flow of traffic, but CT 15 is very curvy,
hilly, and often has road work going on. All I remember is that one
minute we were going straight and the next we had slid from the left
lane to the right lane and turned in the direction of the oncoming
traffic. Fortunately, we were not hit or hurt but the car was a
wreck! We ran out of the car and waited on the side of the highway. A
kind passerby stopped, and we waited in her car until the police
came. It was scary and I was unable to sit in the front of the car
for months and would panic when the driver went over 65 mph.


I
no longer have the fear I did and was able to take driving lessons
and successfully obtain my driver’s license. Connecticut makes an
excellent attempt to create safe drivers. Connecticut has one of the
tightest regulations to obtaining a driver’s license as a minor to
the federal government. Meaning, there are more rules and
requirements to obtain a driver’s license in Connecticut than many
other states.

My
uncle and aunt lost their four-year-old daughter in a car crash, when
a driver ran a red light and rear-ended them. My uncle was admitted
in the hospital. The entire family was distraught to lose one of the
youngest members of our family. This demonstrates that reckless
driving can cause physical and emotional impacts on families such as
mine.


Car
Crashes take lives and the most dangerous thing in the car is the
driver, the person controlling the vehicle. There are other effects
reckless driving can have such as getting a ticket or having license
suspended. The more people that take steps to becoming a safer and
more responsible driver, the closer we get to having safe roads and
less lives lost.