Safety Saves Lives

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for U.S
teenagers, accounting for about 33% of teen fatalities. Additionally,
most of these accidents are not due to reckless driving, rather mere
inexperience and lack of knowledge on the road. Drivers ed is
incredibly important because countless lives are saved when young
drivers learn to make safe and wise decisions behind the wheel. There
are several simple steps that can be taken in order to effectively
reduce the number of driving-related deaths, beginning with putting
on a seatbelt immediately upon getting into a car. People who are not
wearing a seatbelt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a
vehicle when in a crash. As cliché as it sounds, seatbelts save
lives! Another life-saving step is to always drive at the right
speed. It’s so easy to lose track of time and speed on the road,
which can turn out to be very dangerous. There are many factors that
affect what speed should be attained on the road regardless of the
speed limit, including weather, work/school zones, and the time of
day. One last tip is to never allow distractions while driving. Many
drivers are aware of the dangers of texting while driving but fail to
recognize the possible dangers of eating or searching for music while
driving. Distractions compromise not only the life of the driver, but
also the lives of other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. If a
driver is going 60 mph, he will travel 88 feet in one second.
Therefore, even a one second glance at a radio or cellphone can prove
to be incredibly dangerous when behind the wheel. A few years ago, I
travelled with my friend and her mom to a basketball tournament. We
were stopped at a red light, and when the light turned green, we
automatically drove forward. What we did not know was that another
driver had been distracted with his phone and was speeding through
the intersection. He struck our car at very high speed. The three of
us in the car were very lucky to walk away from the accident with
only a few minor injuries. It’s crazy to think of what could have
happened in that moment, all because a driver took a quick look at
his phone. I believe that everyone has the ability to improve who
they are as a driver while on the road. Personally, I sometimes
become anxious to get somewhere and speed to my destination as a
result of that. In order to be a safer driver, I need to be aware of
the speed limit because it is there in order to protect my safety. I
also need to actively practice the things I have learned about safe
driving in order to be an example to my younger sisters and friends
who are new drivers as well. If drivers strive to provide a good
example to younger generations, I fully believe that safe driving
will become the norm.