Name: J'son Hodge
From: Durham, North Carolina
Votes: 18
Drive
Smarter, Live Longer
I
have always found driving to be bittersweet in my experiences behind
the wheel. On one hand, I could not wait to get behind the wheel. The
feeling of going anywhere, whether it be my friend’s house up the
street or even going to different events, was liberating. I found
driving to be exciting, but there was also a feeling of fear when I
was making my way to my destination. Even though I was doing my best
to follow the rules of the road, I could not help but think about the
people I had to share the road with. The fear came from the
unpredictable behavior of other drivers on the road and the potential
situations I may be in, if they were to act recklessly. Luckily, I’ve
never been in a car accident, but I have been in the car with friends
and family members who were either distracted by their phones or
speeding. These experience have always led to close calls and have
spurred me to comment on their reckless driving. By speaking up, I
hope to convey the importance of being a responsible driver.
It’s
very important for everyone to be educated on the rules of driving
before getting on the open road. Drivers ed holds a great
responsibility in the reduced number of automobile deaths because it
informs the new generation of drivers about the procedures of safe
driving. Without proper drivers ed, we can expect a higher
number of car accidents, stemming from younger people who are unaware
of what to do or who are being distracted by their phones. Beginner
drivers need to have a thorough understanding of the signs, lights,
and signals they will encounter when they are on the road and also
understand the gravity of putting their phones away and giving their
full attention to the road. With anybody, having your attention
divided can decrease your reaction time and keep you from acting in a
potentially dangerous and avoidable situation. Providing this
information can help to decrease the amount of uninformed and
reckless drivers and, in turn, reduce the amount of deaths caused by
driving.
There
are a number of things we can do in order to become safer drivers.
The first of those things is to put on your seatbelt. Although it can
be an easily forgettable step, it is one of the quickest and easiest
to do. As a way to keep it in mind, drivers can always remember to
buckle up as the first thing they do when they enter the car. Along
with wearing a seatbelt, people can become safer drivers by reducing
irresponsible behavior behind the wheel. A way to avoid this is by
keeping those who have had drugs or alcohol from the driver’s seat.
Under no circumstances should you let someone under the influence
drive. You are putting them, yourself, and others on the road in a
situation that can lead to bodily harm and even death.
