The Right to Bear Arms and the Privilege of Driving

My mom would always say, “A car can kill more people than a gun can.” I would just roll my eyes without her seeing. As a typical young boy, I was fascinated with cars. I never pictured driving or riding in a car as a dangerous situation. This all changed on a cold, winter night to see Santa Clause.

When I was eight years old, my mom was driving my brother and I to see Santa at a local toy store. We were driving and the road was a lot lower in elevation than the land on the sides of the road. Out of nowhere, a deer jumped in front of us, and we felt it roll underneath us. It was a scary experience, and I will never forget it. Luckily, nobody in the car was injured. I thought that we killed one of Santa’s reindeer. Now it is a comical story to tell, but at the time it was very traumatic to a little kid.

When I was a sophomore in high school, my neighbor was tragically killed driving his truck in a neighboring city. A young high schooler was driving with a group of young passengers. He was speeding around a bend and collided with my neighbor’s truck. A few of the boys died as well as my neighbor. This incident shook me to the point where I needed to seek counseling. It was just so hard to believe. One minute he was here and the next he was laying in a casket. The scariest part was I traveled that road several hundred times in my life. Traveling that road still gives me triggers of anxiety to this day.

My neighbor’s death happened right before I began taking Drivers Education after school. I took these classes very seriously because I knew the dangers of not taking it seriously. Although I completed the course with a 98% and did the one-on-one sessions with the driving instructor, I still did not completely feel comfortable behind the wheel. I passed my driving permit and eventually my exam on the first time. I was not in a hurry to get my license and waited till well after I turned 16 years old.

Confidence is important in my opinion. One should feel confident when operating a vehicle. It took me awhile to feel confident, but the only factor that helped was driving at every opportunity I had when I was with my mom. I am not sure if the laws vary from state to state, but when I took Driver’s Education, I had several friends that waited until they turned 18 years old to get their license just so they did not have to take Driver’s Education. This made me very uncomfortable and even still does if I am being honest. Age should not determine legality when getting a driver’s license. When someone turns 18 or 21 years old, they can legally purchase a gun if they pass a background check. A privilege is more precious than a right. A right is a guarantee, but a privilege is granted if extra criteria are satisfied. Driver’s Education is a tool that is available to save lives and should be utilized by all drivers to obtain the privilege of legally operating a motorized vehicle. The extra training and videos in Driver’s Education are surreal. I wish government funding was available for those that could not afford Driver’s Education.

The only accident that I was in involved a rotted tree falling on my car as I drove my brother and I home. While it was an unusual accident and declared an act of God, it conveyed the dangers of being behind the wheel. Luckily, my brother and I escaped unharmed. Safety happens to be my number one factor when purchasing a car. I happened to be driving a used Subaru. Subaru is known for its safety and does ample safety testing on their vehicles to ensure their safety standards. I think all drivers should prioritize safety when purchasing a used or new vehicle.

It is obvious that nobody should text and drive or be impaired while driving. While this seems to be common knowledge, many are under the assumption that an accident won’t happen to them. When the text dings, it is an impulsive reaction to want to check it. No text is worth looking at or answering until one is safely stopped. Furthermore, many are impatient while driving. Many are tempted to speed up rather than slow down during a yellow light. They act like the red light is a danger rather than waiting on it to change green. The question to ask ourselves is “Is it worth arriving at our destination late or possibly not at all?” I dislike being in a hurry and would rather leave earlier to give me extra time to arrive at my destination. Rushed drivers tend to make poor decisions. Impatient drivers can also cause road rage.

Many safeguards can be done to encourage driving safely. Safe drivers should practice accountability with their loved ones. If we value them as much as they value us, we will take more care of ourselves. Nowadays, there are apps and features such as do not disturb that helps prevent distracted driving. It is imperative to leave early and give oneself extra time. Drivers should do their research on safety when purchasing a new vehicle. Ultimately, sixteen-year-old students that obtain a driver’s license are in school and should study driver’s safety in the classroom before legally driving by themselves. A vehicle is a vessel used for transportation but could turn into a deadly weapon if used irresponsibly.