Drivers Education benefits us all

I’m driving on my way to school down the hill on McKee Road to the stoplight. I stop at the red light behind a car giving them plenty of room. The next car comes and stops too close for comfort right behind me. They cause me to creep forward inch by inch, until I am a safe distance away from them. Then my world spins as I see the car behind me step on their gas pedal and go forward accelerating towards my bumper. He hits me. My body jerks back and forth and I have to make a quick reaction to keep my foot pressed harder on my break in order to not hit the car in front of me. I stop hearing the music and my brain is fuzzy. Soon the adrenaline kicks in, my brain clears enough and I am able to function again. I pull over to the side of the road and prepare myself for what I have to do next. I get out of my car, and I meet the person who re-ended me. He asks if I’m okay and starts apologizing for hitting me. Then he starts to explain what happened, he told me he was distracted by something in his backseat and so he accidentally pressed on his gas pedal. I should’ve known he was distracted, I remembered that in Drivers Education we had learned most accidents are caused by distracted drivers. Eventually I was able to get to school and though still shaken up, I carried on through my day.

This scenario of a personal experience proves that road safety is commonly overlooked. This is very unfortunate because due to unsafe and distracted drivers there are too many deaths and injuries related to driving. Even though I learned a lot from this situation, it gave me a lot of anxiety as well. I still flinch every time a car stops really close and fast behind me. Even though there was nothing I could do in this situation to prevent me from getting rear-ended, I still have a lot to say on driving safely. Road safety became even more of a prominent habit in my life after that day. Driver’s Education is a great way to start learning how to be safe on the road. I remember that throughout the course they would remind you of how important it is to be safe on the road. I heard a lot of tragic stories of young teens that were killed in car accidents. Those videos alone made me realize that the road is dangerous and everyone needs to do their part to keep themselves and others safe.

Wearing a seatbelt and not speeding are two very important skills that drivers need to acquire before going out on the road. Seatbelts save lives and it’s very important for the driver and their passengers to wear them. Too many people die because they weren’t wearing a seatbelt. Instead of an injury, their family has to deal with a loss of a loved one. Speeding is another dangerous aspect of the road. You cannot call a high speed accident an accident, because in the event that the person wasn’t speeding then maybe there wouldn’t have been a crash to begin with. There do not need to be as many deaths as there are while driving, people just need to follow the rules of the road.

Another huge part of road safety is to not go on your phone. Your mind is not able to do two things at once, due to selective attention our minds are truly only able to focus on one thing at a time, switching between the two every few seconds. A lot can happen on the road in a couple seconds, especially at high speeds. Deer/animals can go into the middle of the road, drivers may have to do an emergency break, or someone can cut in front of you. Not paying attention can have serious consequences such as harm to yourself or another person. It is important to put your phone away while driving, and it is a habit that every driver should gain.

As a younger driver I always take precaution when going out onto the road. I wear my seatbelt, I don’t speed, and I use defensive driving. I make sure that I’m not putting anyone in harm’s way as I try to reach my destination. I see so many accidents happen as I drive to and from school. There are many reckless drivers on the road and that is a very scary thing to have. People deserve to feel comfortable as they go to school or work, as they visit a relative, or go on vacation. Driving shouldn’t have to be stressful. There are steps that all drivers can be taking in order to make the road safe for all citizens.