The importance of safe driving

Kelsey Cummens

          The Importance of Safe Driving

To begin, there are two main issues that should be highlighted: distracted driving, and driver inexperience. 

Distracted driving can include passengers, texting, and so on.  Distracted driving has become more popular among teenagers that don’t realize the risks that are associated with driving.  The quick check of social media can distract the driver for several seconds, which only one is needed to cause an accident.  With the increase of social media, also comes with the increase of texting. Texting has become a part of daily life especially among teenagers.  According to Pew internet, teenagers send around 60 text messages a day.  This number is higher than any other generation. 

This new issue that’s affecting this generation needs to be fixed.  There are several ways to go about this. I personally believe in a new app that limits the user when driving. There are a number of apps that have in-app messages that remind players not to play and drive. Expanding on this idea, and making an app that can remind and limit the drivers could potentially save lives. 

Another possible solution is informing teenagers.  There are many statistics that point to young teenagers running a higher risk when sitting in the driver’s seat.  Integrating informative presentations to teenagers in drivers education could prevent students from engaging in unsafe driving habits.  To add to this, spreading awareness in communities could help teenagers acknowledge the risks. 

 This issue has been a problem in my area, in my high school year a friend of mine wasn’t wearing a seatbelt when his friend hit a tree. The driver survived, sadly he did not.  He was an amazing student and person, everyone was devastated.  He had a personality that everyone could get along with, it was clear he would have had an amazing future.  Sadly this has become a norm in our community, accidents happen everyday, taking the lives of those that are close to us. It can happen to anyone, spreading awareness would just be a small step in helping this issue. . 

Another topic that needs to address is driver inexperience. Driver inexperience is the leading cause of teen accidents.  Teenagers are still new to the roads and rules, putting them in the driver’s seat too soon can cause accidents.  Driver’s education has helped new drivers ease their way into the new world of driving.  These courses help teach teenagers about unsafe driving habits, as well as ways to prevent them.  These classes aid preventing deaths, by letting teenagers know the risks of driving.  

Steps I have personally taken are to put my phone completely away, avert all of my attention to the road, and I’ve taken courses to better my driving.  These simple steps can prevent accidents everywhere.  A complete knowledge of the rules of the roads can prevent misunderstandings on the roads. The courses I’ve taken have helped me immensely, by understanding the roads, I’ve grown more confident in my ability.  I’ve talked to several people around my age that are scared when driving. This fear can cause accidents. Paying attention is another need when driving.  Being able to ignore the actions that happen in the car can prevent accidents outside of the car.  Watching the road instead of my phone is a pretty obvious one, although not commonly used.  Accidents can happen in a flash of a second, it takes several to send a text message. 

Driving should be taken more seriously, although it has become a daily habit for the majority of us, accidents can still occur.  Proper education on the habits of driving can save lives.