The Laws and Skills that Protect You

The
Laws and Skills that Protect You

As
of 2018, there are almost 230 million drivers on the road. That is
nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population. That is seven tenths of our
country’s population behind the wheel of what could become a one and
a half ton killing machine. Driving can be exhilarating and freeing,
I know it is for me, but it must also be taken seriously. For one
day, it could be you being interviewed in front of your accident.

Driver
safety is a large portion of the drivers ed, if not all of it.
In a study coordinated by the AAA Foundation, drivers ed is
associated with
lower incidences of both crashes and convictions. The incidences of
crashes were reduced by over four percent and

convictions
by nearly 40 percent. It was also shown that teens who completed
drivers ed programs scored higher on the driving exam and
appeared to have a greater long-term knowledge over their peers who
did not take drivers ed courses.

In
an effort to reduce motor
vehicle accidents, the state of Massachusetts has passed new laws
regarding road safety. These laws restrict curfew hours and a
driver’s ability to use certain technology that may impair their
concentration to the road. The charges for the breaking these laws
are also more restricting, most of them ending up in license
confiscation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Sadly,
while in high school, you may witness horrible wrecks or even worse,
be a part of one. A dear friend of mine and my peers a couple years
ago was involved in a very serious wreck. Thankfully he was unharmed,
but the pictures were jaw dropping. The photos depicted his sedan
crumpled up and flipped on its roof on a dirt road. He was driving
irresponsibly along a dirt path in a wooded area, while crossing a
turn his wheels slid into a ditch and momentum caused his car to roll
multiple times. I was astonished he survived after hearing the
stories and the pictures that corroborated them.

Safe
driving is very simple to me. I do everything I was taught to do.
Fasten my seatbelt, check my mirrors, my lights if needed, look both
ways when turning, and I obey the speed limits. Other ways I practice
safe driving includes staying out of the left lane on highways. I’m
not a NASACR driver or a Grand Prix racer, so there is no ned for me
to act like one. When behind a large truck or any large vehicle, I
stay far away enough that I see their rearview mirrors. That way, I
can be certain that they can see me and I am not in their blindspot.
And when it gets dark out, I drive a few miles an hour slower just in
case.

A
new driver is always excited to get behind the wheel, its a passage
into a new life. Just make sure you stay alive to experience it.