Be safe, the text can wait

When I learned to
drive, the first thing I was taught was to have no distractions while
driving. I was taught that distractions could cost you your life.
Drivers eds drilled into my brain that there should be no
texting and driving. Looking at your phone even for one second could
cause an accident. Knowing the rules of the road and that in my state
there is a hands-free policy, I never thought I would be in a car
accident.

While driving with
my aunt, I was in a small fender bender. The accident was not my
fault; however, the culprit was a cell phone. While a busy highway in
rush hour traffic, my aunt went to look at her phone. My mother
texted her to see where we were and my aunt went to look at the text.
One second was all it took for the accident to take place. The only
thing that saved us from a horrible accident was the traffic. Since
we were driving in the middle of rush hour traffic, the car was not
moving at a high speed.

What I know now is
that one second can mean everything. Checking your phone is not the
priority when you are behind the wheel of a car. The only way to stop
accidents is to follow the rules of the road. Staying within the
speed limits and restricting distractions. Teenagers who recently
learn to drive can be reckless and stupid. They do not see the
terrible decision they are making. The teenagers think they are
finally free as they have their driver’s license. Staying safe while
driving means making sure they are focused on the road and not on
their phone. Testing should not be a priority when behind the wheel
of a car.

Choosing to get behind the wheel is a choice everyone makes at one
point. The person chooses to learn how to drive. Once a person
chooses to learn how to drive, they also must learn how are allowed
in the car with them. Having a second or third person in the car with
you can be just as distracting as looking at your phone. Since the
person learns how to drive, they must also know that they have a
choice to make when getting into the car as a passenger. If you know
that a person is a reckless driver, then you have the choice of not
getting in the car with them.