Driving: Let’s Make It Safe

Driving:
Let’s Make It Safe

Driving is one of
the most wanted independences a teenager can receive. But before a
teen can drive, states require a minimum amount of classroom time
called drivers ed. In Oklahoma for example, it is required
to have 10 hours of classroom time before one is allowed to start
their drive times. On the other hand, some states such as Colorado
require 30 hours of classroom time. A drivers ed is their
number one tool for safety.

A driver learns the
basics of driving is drivers ed. One learns to stop, go,
yield, not speed, how to turn on their turn signal and so many other
rules. But that does not mean they obey all of the rules they learn.
Drivers speed, they roll through stop signs, they run a red light or
they do not turn on their blinker when changing lanes or turning, and
all of these things do not qualify as safe. All of these things can
cause an accident and remembering what is learned in driver’s
education can help a driver remain safe.

To keep a driver
safe there are a few things one can do, buckle up, put the phone down
and really pay attention to the road and drivers around. In an
accident, there is so much force being put into it, a driver can get
really hurt. If a driver is wearing their seatbelt, their chances of
being thrown through their windshield are so low. Yes, the driver can
sustain injuries from the seatbelt, but they will not die because of
the trauma sustained when they could possibly fly through their
windshield. In this day and age, phones are so prevalent. We take
them everywhere we go, we are not able to put them down, especially
when driving. So many people, especially teens, are texting or
Snapchatting while they are driving. There are so many accidents that
are caused by texting or Snapchatting. Drivers are so distracted by
their phones they are unable to be completely focused on the road and
others around them.

In my own
experience, I have been in one super minor accident. I had backed up
out of the school parking lot and was starting to go forward when
someone backed into me. It scared me more than anything because of
the loud sound it made. There was very minimal damage but because of
this, it has made me double check, sometimes triple check when I am
backing out. This was a reality check for me. I make sure no one is
backing out, or that no one is behind me when I am changing lanes and
make sure I have enough time and space to merge onto the highway.
Driver’s safety can be changed one driver at a time by obeying
traffic laws, minimizing distractions and recalling what was learned
in drivers ed.