Name: Leah Ortiz
From: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Votes: 0
How
can we ensure that new drivers will become safe drivers? The simple
solution is awareness, but awareness alone will not register with
teenagers because statistics are only numbers. In order to fully
explain the impact that unsafe driving has on people, we have to
teach new drivers that behind the statistics are real people. The
most effective strategy we can implement this teaching is through
showing new drivers that people are the true difference between safe
roads, and deadly ones.
Recent
reports state that on average, nearly 102 Americans die each day due
to car accidents. So how can we, as fellow drivers, reduce those
numbers? When people read accident statistics they don’t understand
that this is a plausible outcome with serious consequences. For
example, I can recall a time when I was younger and my mom got into a
car accident. My younger sister and I were fighting in the backseat.
My sister unbuckled and my mom saw her through the rear view window.
She turned around to yell at her and didn’t notice another car’s
brake lights flashing in front of us. My sister stood up out of her
seat just as my mom turned forward, noticed the car, and slammed on
the brakes. My sister fell forward, slammed her face into the
console, and lost eight teeth in the course of a week. She was
immediately taken to the ER where she had to get multiple stitches in
her chin. It’s undeniable that this scenario could happen to
absolutely anyone at anytime.
There
are steps that drivers can take so that they learn about the impact
they have on the road. Preventing the accidents themselves, rather
than letting the results of them change perspectives, is the best
solution. Cell phones are easy distractions to new drivers. The
National Safety Council reported that one in four accidents are from
texting and driving. Reducing these numbers will require active
efforts to educate new drivers about the importance of putting the
cell phone away while driving. Turning the phone on silent or putting
out of sight can greatly reduce the urge to check for incoming
messages. I’m currently a senior in high school which means I’m
relatively new to driving. My sister just turned fifteen and is
training to get her permit. Between the two of us we ensure that our
seat belts are on and our cell phones are not before the key goes
into the ignition. Drivers ed is important in that it
teaches their students to be aware of the risks of driving. However,
truly being a skilled driver, and making the roads safer is up to the
student themselves. People can hear the statistics, and drive the
car, but until they recognize their part in road safety, none of
their training will matter.
All
in all, road safety relies on the driver, not the numbers. Because
these numbers represent real people. We can make the roads a safe
place so long as new drivers are aware of the role they play when
they’re driving a car. The most important thing to teach new
drivers is that the numbers they see aren’t just ink blots on a
page, but a real person who was once a new driver just like
themselves.
