Name: Nicholas James Tamayo
From: Riverside, CA
Votes: 0
The main influences that affect teen drivers on how prepared they
will be for driving are fluency of mechanical movements or reaction
time, the extent of knowledge about traffic laws and procedures, and
the amount and quality of drivers ed they take. It is a fact
that 16-19 year-olds are three times more likely to get in an
accident than any other demographic. Drivers ed can reduce the
chances of teenagers and adults getting into an accident and reduce
the chances of getting a ticket by 40% (Pratt). As for myself, driver
education allowed me to ask questions about road laws that I was
unsure about, it introduced probable scenarios that I had not thought
about, and it taught me about the dangers of driving and how to be
careful and prevent an accident.
In order to
reduce driver deaths states must require that new driver take driver
ed courses. Today, only 32 states require novice drivers to take
them. It only makes sense that it should be federally mandated.
Additionally, the greatest danger for drivers comes from the use of
cell phones. It appears people could not be more dependent on their
phones nowadays, having all social capabilities such as Instagram,
Snapchat, and messaging in the palm of their hand. What many people
do not know is that cell phone usage can be as dangerous as driving
drunk. In order to significantly decrease cell phone usage while
driving, state legislatures should emphasize the severity of the
situation by assigning larger fines and requiring community service
for a violation.
As for personal
experience, I have heard many stories of people using their phones to
take videos of the driver, and generally distracting them. While
phone usage is the primary distraction this day and age, there are
other forms of distraction as well. When my mother was in high
school, she got into a car accident with her sister. They were
getting into an intense argument and my mom was not paying attention
and hit a driver head on going around 40 miles per hour. My mom was
airlifted to the hospital and my aunt went into a coma. Fortunately,
she woke up after a couple weeks and my mom only had to get minor
surgery. They both ended up fine, but not all people are so lucky.
For me to call
myself a conscientious driver, I must make sure that I am alert and
fully awake before and throughout the driving process and I keep both
of my hands on the steering wheel and away from the radio. I must
also be disciplined in keeping all rules of the road including coming
to a complete stop at stop signs, always using my blinker, following
the SMOG procedure (signal, mirror, over-the-shoulder, go) every time
I change lanes, and staying under the speed limit; not just around
it.
Pratt, Michael. “Why Drivers ed is a Must for Teen
Drivers.” www.obrella.com.
Obrella 2019. Accessed 11 Mar 2019.
