From Behind the Desk to Behind the Wheel

From Behind the Desk to Behind the Wheel

Driving is the second most common way to get from A to B, falling short of trains. It is, however, the top private mode of transportation. This means that even though more people take trains, there are more people behind the wheel of a car than at the controls of a train. Having this many people in control of a potentially deadly vehicle around the world means that inevitably there are going to be accidents and casualties. The best way to reduce the number of deaths when related to driving, is prevention. Education is the best tool we have for this. Teaching drivers the importance of safety behind the wheel and how to not be distracted while driving will not only reduce the chances that that person will be hurt or killed in an accident, it reduces the chances that people on the road around them are hurt or killed as a result of the other person’s actions. Having a minimum number of driving hours followed by a driving test isn’t always enough.

In order to truly reduce the number of deaths related to driving, it would be beneficial to require a driving safety class in order for someone to get their license.

In my experience in life, driving has always been something to be taken seriously. My childhood home has a terribly steep driveway that comes out on the bottom of a blind curve hill on a 40mph road. When I was young, my dad was hit by a car as he was coming out of our driveway. He stayed multiple nights in the hospital and had to have surgery done to drain the blood from his lungs. A few years before my older sister started driving, we considered selling the house and moving to a different one nearby just so we could have a safe driveway for when we started driving. Unfortunately that was a dead end because it was financially unfeasible. However, my sister and I both were able to learn how to drive carefully and despite our driveway situation, we have never gotten into an accident on our road. My dad drives for his work. He spends most of his day on the road in his company car. He also has a work phone, and through it, his company is able to track his driving habits to make sure he doesnt speed, take turns too harshly, or get into any kind of car accident. Also, there is an app on his phone that he turns on every time he starts driving that stops all notifications so nothing distracts him while on the road, and as an added precaution he puts his phone in the glove compartment while he drives. Growing up with things like this has imparted onto me the importance of staying focused on the road while driving. I take it as seriously as my parents do. When she was in highschool, my sister was in a car accident while behind the wheel. Her friend was in the car with her at the time, and while nobody was hurt, my parents would not allow her to drive the two of them anywhere anymore. She also took a defensive driving class to better prepare her for unexpected events while driving. All of this has had an impact on me. I refrained from getting my permit until a year after I was legally able to because I was worried I might do something wrong and cause irreversible damage. I have now had my permit for almost a year and a half, and have acquired well past the amount of driving hours required to take my license test. The reason I have not yet taken the test, even though I am very confident in my ability to pass it, is for myself. I have personal standards extending further than the standards of the state and I waited to schedule my driving test until I felt that I had met those standards and felt comfortable behind the wheel and on the road. I even tend to roll the window down while I drive to give me a better sense of how fast I’m going and ensure I don’t accidentally go too fast. When it comes to my phone, I don’t get any notifications on it when I’m behind the wheel and I don’t pick it up until I am done driving. I drive with two hands on the wheel and make sure to check my mirrors regularly. I know to pay attention to all the other cars on the road just in case one of them does something unexpected and I need to react quickly. And when I’m driving my parents, I make sure they know not to be a backseat driver because that can be frustrating and distracting while I’m trying to focus on the task at hand. For college, my university does allow freshmen to have a car on campus. I have decided to bring mine because the college is in a small town in a rural area. My college is also relatively close to home so having a car on campus will allow me to visit home periodically. I will follow all the same rules that I do here at home when driving at college, like not using my phone, rolling down my window, and making sure any passenger knows that my focus is first and foremost on the road and safety. I feel that my experience as an Eagle Scout has helped me to value safety and prepared me to be ready to deal with anything that might happen in the best way possible.