Drivers Education from the Perspective of a Teenager

When I started driving as a young teen, my dad would always ask me, “do you want to go on a drive?” my heart started beating rapidly and sweat in my palms began to build up. I used to hate driving, even though my dad was a great instructor. I live in one of the most populated cities in my state, which loads of traffic at every time of the day. But knowing my dad, he would put me in these busy situations to be prepared for the future. I gained a lot of experience from my father; he always challenged me, but he knew what my limits were to keep me safe as a new driver. 

Oftentimes, my family and I travel to different places across the country. Every time we go somewhere, there is always someone who is going 10 mph over the speed limit, someone who never turns their turn signal on, someone who has their face glued to their phone screen, and the list goes on. My question is, why is it so difficult for people to follow simple rules while driving? Do they realize that their lives are at risk? I’m sure they are aware of the rules and what they are doing, but they fail to realize that not only could they harm themselves, but the people around them. It is possible to reduce the amount of driving fatalities. On average, 34000 people die because of driving each year. If we follow simple rules and remove distractions, this number can reduce drastically. 

In Kentucky, one of the largest mistakes I see of people driving is texting. In just a blink of the eye, one notification from a friend or family can result in a fatal car wreck. There is a simple solution to this. Keep your phone out of reach and sight. Many of my friends will put their phone in their glove compartment to remove distraction. Turning on the “do not disturb” function on your phone will also remove any sounds and messages from distracting you. Reducing the amount of phone use and technology on the roads will help the driver overall. Is a mobile device more interesting than your own life and the life of others on the road? 

Other issues that need to be addressed while driving is wearing a seat belt or being under the influence. Most young drivers follow the rules carefully and drive cautiously, but some do not. Wearing a seat belt will reduce the risk of severe injury if you were to get into a car wreck. Many people think that because they are going on a short trip, they do not need a seat belt. You never know what to except from drivers, so always be safe even if you aren’t going far. Many people in my city have also been pulled over for being under the influence whether it was drugs or alcohol. This is one of the most dangerous situations for the driver, the passenger, and especially the people around them. Always make sure to have another person drive you if you have been on drugs or drank alcohol.

Although I have never been in a car accident myself, I know of many people who have. In the middle of November, a 17-year-old girl from my school was killed in a car wreck. She lost control of her car and drove into the Kentucky River. The two passengers escaped, but unfortunately, she drowned to death. I do not know all the details of the incident, but I know that she was distracted in some sort of way. When coming back to school, many of my peers were mourning over her loss. We can prevent these incidents from happening by removing any distraction that could risk our lives.

In my state, you must take a four-hour course through the program Alive at 25 before getting your license. This program teaches young drivers the laws and rules to keep you safe until and after the age of 25. After taking this course, I learned so many things about staying safe while driving. You should be well rested, aware of your surroundings, and keep all the distractions away from you. As someone who began driving recently, I like to keep my phone on do not disturb while I’m driving. I also like to know exactly where I need to go before, I start driving. This ensures that I am safe and can keep my eyes entirely on the road. This all comes to say, that no matter where you live, rural or urban, you must remove distractions. I can be so easy to pick up your phone while at a red light, but it is much more important that you keep yourself and others safe.