Dangerous is Not Cool

Kathleen
McClaughry

Driver’s
Education Initiative Scholarship

May
14th, 2020

Dangerous
is Not Cool

Driving is
the most dangerous thing people do every day. There is never a
guarantee of safety when getting behind the wheel. There is no
knowing who else is on the road or telling of who will become
reckless. The only thing we can do as drivers is be responsible for
ourselves and our passengers and follow the rules of the road because
there is no assurance of safety while on the road.

Driver’s
education teaches new drivers to be safe while on the road. It
teaches students to pay attention to their surroundings and keep
their distractions to a minimum. It teaches the theories of how to
control a car in dangerous conditions and encourages defensive
driving. Drivers ed should not be for only new drivers, but
for all drivers. The rules of the road are forever evolving, and
while students in drivers ed learn these rules, experienced
drivers might not. As most important rules of the road stick with a
driver, many skills and rules slip through the mind, which is why
every few years, a driver should be required to refresh their
knowledge in a mini drivers ed course.

I have
been in the passenger seat when friends have decided the rules of the
road do not apply to them and it is extremely unsettling to be in
that position. Some of my friends think it’s cool or impressive when
they speed and blast the music. They text and drive, they dart around
cars, and they try to race friends on the road. This behavior is not
cool, it is dangerous. It is not cool to make your passengers feel
uncomfortable and risk their safety.

I have
seen my friends get into accidents while driving home from school. I
have heard stories of kids totalling their cars while driving
recklessly and I am amazed at the amount of kids that have points on
their license. As a passenger, when I feel I am unsafe, I do my best
to inform the driver and hope they amend their driving. All I can do
to drive safely is pay attention to those around me and follow the
rules of the road. I always do my best to make my passengers forget
that I am a new driver and feel comfortable with me behind the wheel.
When I feel threatened by another driver on the road, I let them pass
so their dangerous behavior is not affecting me. If we all do our
best to remain safe and not worry about our destination, time, or if
our passengers think we are cool, we can all be better and safer
drivers.