Driver Education Initiative Award

Driving can be fun when you first realize you can go places without asking a parent to take you themself. Only problem with learning how to drive young is the inexperienced mind you possess. When you have a better chance of being injured or killed in a car accident than in a plane crash, you kind of wonder why such a thing could be true. Reckless driving? Driving while under the influence? Or is it just distracted driving caused by texting and/or talking on the phone where you are cognitively focused on anything but the road? All of these reasons could be correct to some extent. When I started the process of getting my driver’s license, I complained about the cost to enroll in driver education. Learning to drive allowed me to appreciate the impact driver education can have on young drivers. Most young drivers do not realize you cannot put a price on someone’s life, and you’re better off learning how to avoid accidents early. However, that was not the only lesson I learned upon getting my license and beyond. One of my brother’s friends got into an accident that not only cost two people their lives, but the driver’s life changed for the worse.

One item in the car that can save your life is the barometer. Honestly, the feeling of how fast you’re going in the car is a delusion. Imagine if you were suddenly pushed out of the car on the freeway and forced to catch up to it, it is impossible. Usain Bolt was clocked at running 27.33 miles per hour. When you drive that fast in the car it feels like nothing, you almost want to go faster. Speeding is a major issue, let alone in the dark. Speeding is what caused the accident. The car burst into flames after hitting an electric pole. Two of the girls in the car were killed, while the driver, my brother’s friend, sustained severe burns. The hardest thing for me to understand about the incident was the effect of the burns on him. The burns caused him to shrink almost a foot. Apart from the two deaths in the accident, that news hit me hard to the point where I want to speak out about the dangers of reckless driving and how to prevent future accidents that can be easily avoided.

Reducing the number of deaths by driving can be changed just by taking a driver’s education class. Experience from a professional who knows what she or he is doing behind the wheel will allow you to have the knowledge and experience needed before you drive on the road alone. Besides education, there are other steps you can take. Do not get behind the wheel when emotional, especially if you’re angry. Also, see the road and everything surrounding you by checking your blind spot and not looking into the backseat. Other things you may not think about would be making sure the driver’s seat is set up appropriately so you’re able to see all your mirrors and the road and blinking your high beams if another person has theirs on and it is affecting your ability to see.

As for steps I can take to help the drivers around me, my biggest problem is not easing up on the gas to come to a stop. Instead, I break too hard and the person behind me has to also. I need to come to a smooth stop by slowly putting pressure on the brakes. Wintery conditions can be dangerous, especially if breaking too hard is your habit. I live in Buffalo, New York, and everyone has to learn how to drive in different weather conditions, such as snow, sleet, and hail. Learning how to deal with black ice is a big deal. That is what caused the accident I mentioned earlier where two girls lost their lives. The problem related to black ice is speeding. Speeding will cause you to have to brake, and if you go through black ice your brakes will lock and you will have no control over the car at that point. Follow the speed limit!

The most obvious and important part of driving is avoiding alcohol and drugs. Being under the influence of anything will make you have no control over yourself, even if you’re an experienced driver. Always offer a ride to a friend or family member who has been drinking and consider driving home, no matter how much he or she has been drinking. The same thing goes for medications, such as antidepressants, especially if you mix alcohol with those medications. Always stay clean! The law does not allow free reign when under the influence. However, being under the limit does not give you the right to have medication and drink at the same time, even if it is a legal drug. Always think before you go behind the wheel even if you’re completely sober! Be safe!