Name: Rachel Cooley
From: Sanford, ME
Votes: 23
Importance
of Driving Safely
Driving
is found to be useful to many, whether or not you can drive. Although
it is helpful, it can be dangerous. There are people who think they
can drive while they are under the influence of alcohol, or they have
phones causing distractions from texting or app notifications. There
are even a few drivers who don’t pay enough attention or use enough
caution while driving. All of these are dangerous, not only for the
people in the vehicle but for everyone outside it, too.
Taking
drivers ed is very important for a number of reasons. It helps
you learn how to drive, how to be safe, what the dangers of the road
are and how to avoid them. For example, they could teach you what to
do if there is an ambulance or a police car that needs to get
through, or if you notice someone with impaired judgement (from
alcohol, drugs, etc) is driving behind you. Drivers ed helps
you get the feel for driving with someone who has had years of
experience. In Maine, you have to have ten hours of driving with an
instructor and get a minimum grade of 80% on the written exam in
order to obtain your permit.
To
reduce the number of deaths related to driving, more people should
attend a drivers ed course so they can learn how to drive
properly. There should be fewer people drinking and doing drugs while
driving since it impairs their judgement and time. Drivers should be
more cautious of what’s around them and be careful when there are
motorcycles nearby since they are harder to see than most vehicles.
Unfortunately,
I have experienced being in a car accident before, but I was lucky it
was very minor. I was driving in a car with my stepdad and my
youngest sister. The rain was pouring and we had to go to a dangerous
intersection because I wasn’t paying attention to the directions I
was told. I was too focused on making the sharp turn ahead of
me, that I didn’t think about slowing down in the rain. I ended up
hydroplaning on the road and I crashed the car into a ditch. I
somehow managed to only damage the tread on the wheels. Even though
no one got hurt, I was terrified. I received my permit just five or
six days prior to this, and I thought it was going to be taken away
from me.
After
that experience, I started to change how I am driving based on the
weather conditions, meaning that if, for example, the roads are icy
or it’s raining, I slow down the car to be safer. I have friends
who are learning to drive or already have their license, so I could
talk to them about my experiences, both good and bad, with driving,
and we could give each other tips and advice on how to be a better
and safer driver.
