The Beginning of Your Journey

The Beginning of Your Journey

The moment you get behind the wheel of a car, you take up a heavy responsibility. You are responsible for any passengers you have in your vehicle and your actions while on the road. Driving is deadly, and forgetting the responsibility you have as a driver can lead to unnecessary accidents. According to the CDC, motor vehicle accidents are listed as a leading cause for teenage deaths. Understanding the impact of driving and the responsibility that comes with it can save lives.

Driving needs a lot of attention, and people often siphon off their attention to other things while driving. This is known as reckless driving. You don’t have to be drunk to be a reckless driver. When you drive, your attention needs to be on the road and your surroundings because that’s the best way to prevent an accident. You can’t control the actions of others, but you can make sure you are the safest driver you can be. You don’t have to be drunk to drive recklessly; you could be answering a phone call, eying a nasty accident, tailgating, or listening to your music a little too loudly. Anything that pulls too much of your attention from the road or harms your ability to react as a driver can lead to unnecessary pain. The most important steps to being a safer driver is knowing the responsibility you take up when you get behind the wheel and remaining vigilant while you are.

The most important years you have as a driver are your first two behind the wheel. The first two years are when you gain experience and learn how to become comfortable behind the wheel. Before getting a license, you need a permit, and to get a permit you have to take a driver’s education course. I got my license a few months ago, which is a lot later than most of my friends got theirs. The difference between my friends and I is how seriously I take driving. I know a lot of people who skimmed their way through their driver’s education. That kind of attitude carries over to driving, and I know they don’t take driving as seriously as they should. Driver’s education is so important because you are not the only person on the road, and you need to know the rules of the road before you can begin to drive. Driver’s education doesn’t teach you everything you need to know, which is why the first two years of experience are so important. Driver’s education, however, is the beginning of your journey to driving, you can’t finish a journey you haven’t started.

You are not the only person on the road, and being the safest driver you can be is the only thing you have control of. When I was in eighth grade, I was in a car crash with my mom and my older sister. It wasn’t a major crash, but I will never be able to forget it. I went through countless physical therapy sessions as well as meetings with a psychiatrist because of the car crash. I don’t have any major injuries, but I’ve been told I’ll have to deal with my back pain for the rest of my life. Before the incident, my sister suffered from back pain, and coming out of it has made her back pain permanently worse. Every time I drive, I think about that day and what I’ve gone through as a result. I try to be the best driver I can because I never want to be the reason someone else hurts as much or worse than I do.

Driver’s education sets your foundation before you drive, and knowing your responsibility as a driver makes you a better driver. If every time you get behind the wheel of a car, you are the safest driver you can be, you will save lives. You won’t cause unnecessary pain or harm. Every time you drive, be the best driver you can be.