“What Do You See?”

“What
do you see?”

“A
woman, and a dog.”

“Anybody
else?”

“A
child and a man on the right.”

“Good,
you always need to be aware of what’s around you, the last thing
you want is to hurt somebody or yourself because you weren’t paying
attention.”

This
is how my grandfather taught me to drive. Never by instilling fear or
worry but by explaining how important one’s job is behind the
wheel. As someone who was never made to take a drivers ed
course, I can truthfully say I wish I would have. Before driving with
my grandfather into Arizona sunsets, I was so arrogant about my
driving I ran into another car. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the
34,000 driving related deaths cannot say the same.

Drivers
education prepares you to not only know the rules of the road but how
to manage the responsibility of being behind the wheel. Taking
drivers ed is crucial to reducing those 34,000 driving related
deaths. With drivers ed one will be taught how to be aware of
their surroundings, how to manage stressful situations, and the
important, specific rules of the road. These are all things that
would prepare a new driver before they venture out onto the road.
These are things that, if known, would extremely reduce the number of
driving related deaths.

Where
I live, I pass at least three accidents a day, some being so bad that
roads are blocked off. The highway is lined with flowers and
memorials for those who have died while driving or been hit by cars.
These accidents are all results of irresponsible driving. Many say
you have to have no brain to pass the driving test in my town, which
is a test that does not actually take you onto the road but rather a
series of parking tests, needless to say it does not adequately
prepare anybody to be a responsible driver, resulting in thousands of
accidents a year.

Although
I have been driving for just three short years I know there are steps
we can all take to becoming safer drivers. Driving is something the
world takes for granted. What once was just a means of getting around
quicker has become a symbol for freedom, fun, and escape. To become
safer drivers, we must revert back to our cautious natures we had
when our foot pressed the gas pedal for the very first time. We must
forget about our phones and the way we’re viewed by the outside
world. To protect our lives and the lives of others our focus must
revert back to the road. Driving is a privilege and to be safer
drivers we must keep our eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and
compassion for others in our hearts.