Learn from my Life Lessons: Education is Essential

Learn from my Life Lessons: Education is Essential

One morning when I was fourteen years old, my brother and I were rear-ended by another teenager changing the music on his phone. Fortunately, nobody was injured and we were able to handle the incident smoothly. This minor accident presented no real damage to me or my family, but that cannot be said about the car accident that affected us two years prior. While my mother was driving to pick my brother up from an afterschool activity, she turned prematurely and was hit by an oncoming car. She suffered heavy upper body bruising and faced a lot of mental trauma from this accident, and we lost our decade-long family car. Although nobody in this collision received life-threatening injuries, every member of my family was left with physical or emotional scars. These two examples from my life illustrate the fact that vehicular accidents can happen to anyone regardless of age or driving experience.

This is why it is vital to educate drivers on road rules, safe driving habits, and the risks and statistics associated with unsafe driving. From my experience as a current teenage driver, I understand how easy it is to assume one’s own safety; nobody ever thinks that they will be the victim whose face is displayed on news reports. My response to that is the fact that nobody expects a phone call about their mother’s car crash, either. Educating both current and future drivers is the most direct method of ensuring that fewer people encounter these experiences. In fact, there are several ways of facilitating this education, such as certified courses, in-school drivers ed classes, and online resources. These options should be encouraged to further reduce the number of driving-related deaths. Additional measures can also be taken, both by the individual and society as a whole. For example, simply reducing the number of distractions in one’s car can limit the risk of an accident caused by inattention. Also, driving under the influence can be prevented by the safety enforcement by responsible figures. Ultimately, all of these strategies return to the core of driving safety: consistent drivers ed.

I have been reflecting on my own poor driving habits and the ways in which I can contribute to safer roads. I have already committed to muting and putting away my phone whenever I drive after my family’s experiences. However, I still sometimes play music too loud, which can interfere with my ability to hear other cars or an oncoming ambulance. To avoid these dangers, I intend on lowering my car’s volume. I also plan on practicing more defensive driving, such as being wary of obstacles like roadside debris. Now more than ever, I understand the risk involved in getting behind the wheel, and I think every driver should be in order for these tragic statistics to be improved.