Name: Emily Rose Dahm
From: Oxnard, CA
Votes: 0
Emily Rose Dahm
On
June 15, 2018 I got my license. I studied the online handbook and
curriculum front to back but I realize now, not everyone does. Being
a well-educated driver is vital when navigating the busy roads to not
only ensure your own safety but the safety of those around you.
Without the knowledge of what to do while making those split-second
decisions, you’re destined for a disaster.
When
I was a sophomore in high school, I was driving my parents to a
neighboring town. We turned a corner where we saw a wreck that had
just happened, previous to our arrival. Then I noticed something, it
was kids from my school.
No
form of medical help had gotten there yet and people stopped to help.
My dad rushed out of our car and ran over to the crash site where he
screamed for a girl to stop dragging another girls body to the side
walk. She had been thrown out of the car upon impact and would be in
the hospital for months. All of the kids involved were minors,
including the driver. They were coming back from the beach when they
got T-boned by a car who ran a red light and continued to flee from
the scene. While the crash per say wasn’t their fault, the amount
of physical injuries they acquired was.
The
driver had a huge speaker in the back seat of the car and there was
not enough room for all of their friends, so they put two girls in
the trunk of the car. Those girls who on impact were violently
ejected from the car and thrown into the street. The driver had no
sign of injury and was frantically picking up beer cans that came
from their car. The girls didn’t return to school for the remainder
of that school year.
This
is just one example that I have witnessed regarding irresponsible
driving. From speeding, checking their phone, or breaking the rules
for young drivers, half of my peers who have their license should not
be allowed to have it. I feel that goes for people of all ages.
I
think that teens and young adults need to have a semester or year
long class about driving and vehicle safety in order to qualify for
their license. I think that raising the age to even apply and begin
the process for your license to eighteen years old when most kids are
more mature is a smart move as well. There also needs to be a limit
to how long you can drive for. Trust me, I have plenty of older
relatives who should have stopped driving long ago. There needs to be
frequent driving competency checks every few years especially once
the driver has become a senior citizen to ensure everyone’s safety.
I
take driving seriously and try to set a good example to my friends on
what it looks like to drive responsibly and to never be
overconfident.
