“In The Drivers Seat”

Natalia Thompson

McKinney High School

In the Driver’s Seat

I believe that drivers ed is vital; it educates the new driver much more significantly in all different areas of driving than just going to the DMV and hoping you pass. When I took my drivers ed course I felt that majority of the curriculum focused on giving new drivers tips on how to drive safely, and showing you what could happen if you have too many distracting friends in the car, and trying to scare you all together and showing the new driver’s that the road is nothing to play with, it just takes a split second to make a minor mistake and you could take multiple lives including your own. It seems that the drivers ed is directed more towards teens and young adults because we can be careless and forgetful at times so I believe seeing and hearing about these traumatic stories of other young people they can relate to is a great tactic even for older people too. Everyone needs a reminder of how to stay safe whether you are the driver or even a passenger.

There are many things that cause deaths when driving, but the most known and most common is drinking while driving. One thing that could help reduce the number of deaths related to drinking while driving could be if there was stronger law enforcement like raising the price of tickets or fines, it would also help if the law enforcers would follow the. I also think there are a lot of alcoholics in America, so instead of pushing for the punishment of a drunk driver right away, I believe that they need to seek mandatory treatment then after they go on with their punishment because you would need to fix the root of the issue before you build on the issue, just like how you can’t build a house without a foundation. The government would also be a significant help if it would promote driving safety a hundred times more.

I have been in a car accident before while my mom was driving and my sister and I were in the back seat. We were driving in a narrow neighborhood street and all of a sudden we see another car zooming coming the opposite way which is towards us and the car ends up colliding with us and grazes the side of our car. The clear mistake that the other driver made was their high speeds. I have also been in the car while my family members or friends have made bad driving habits such as texting while driving, eating while driving, and even high speeds as well.

It is important to always make sure that you are always making the safest decisions while driving because you are not only looking out for your self but the hundreds of others on the road along with you. While on the road some steps that I can take would be to be well-rested, or if I’m going on a long drive to have a playlist already picked before I start driving so I don’t have to mess with my phone, while also keeping the music at an exceptional level to minimize distractions. It is always important to keep your self buckled while the vehicle, so I would hold that standard for myself and my passengers. I would also carry tools in my car such as jumper cables, a spare tire, blanket, etc. , because you never know what could happen while you’re on the road and it’s better to be safer than sorry.