I Didn’t Know

Every
young person has been there. They’ve spent the last 6 months
learning to drive in their parents’ 1987 Dodge pick-up truck,
having to rely on others for rides, and in my case specifically,
having to listen to Back in Black by AC/DC fifty times in a row. When
I first got my license, I was ecstatic. I was granted so much freedom
by holding one simple plastic card. However, what I did not know was
how much responsibility would come with having that card.

I
learned to drive in parking lots and on neighborhood roads, very
different from the open road and busy streets. I knew how to control
a car, but I did not know the rules of the road to keep me safe. As a
result, I was driving 8-10 miles over the speed limit, had my phone
in my hand consistently, and did not pay as much attention as I
should have to others around me.

Fortunately,
I never got into a crash, but I have definitely had a few close
calls. The close call that made me realize I need to be a better
driver happened within the first 2 months of having my license. I was
on my phone, not paying attention to the road much, looking for
directions to somewhere to study. I was coming upon a stoplight, not
noticing it turn yellow, then red. I looked up too late and sped
through the light, hearing tires screeching and horns honking behind
me. I did not know what would happen if I had run that red light with
traffic in the way.

Since
then, I have been learning how to be a better driver, and I’ve also
learned how important being as knowledgeable about driving as
possible is. I have noticed that many people my age do not know as
much as they should about driving. As a result, almost 2,000
teenagers aged 16-19 are killed in driving-related causes each year.
Drivers ed is important. Most high schools in the U.S.A
offer a drivers ed course as an option, but it should be a
requirement. Most teens take the class for an insurance discount, so
there should be no reason to not want to learn how to be safe on the
road.

Driver’s
education being a required course is one step to reducing the number
of deaths while driving. Other steps can include: attending seminars
on drunk driving, peers warning against texting while driving, and
police officers leading classes on how to be safer drivers. I have
taken a few of these steps myself, attending a drivers ed
class in high school, learning how texting, drinking, and other
distractions affect my driving, and taking past experiences and
learning from them. Every teen deserves to know how to be safe on the
road. Every teen deserves to feel safe when driving with others. But
no teen deserves to say “I didn’t know” when dealing with a
life-threatening situation.