Safe Driving is Your Responsibility

Maggie Allen

August 30, 2020

Safe Driving is Your Responsibility

When I was working towards getting my drivers’ license, I was frustrated at having to take drivers ed. I felt like it was not teaching me anything I did not already know. I would quickly be proven wrong. I finished the class and was able to take my test and… I failed. Three times. Finally, on my fourth try, I passed. During the weeks between my first and last test, I reviewed my drivers ed course and lessons countless times. I realized that what I had deemed unnecessary actually contained critical information that was not only important for me to pass my test, but for me to be safe on the road. The lessons detailed what to do when the roads were icy and how to safely merge lanes. All things that if I had not known could have caused a life-threatening accident. So, if all the lessons taught in this course were so vital, why did not take it seriously? It was because it was an online course, which are inherently less effective and demand less concentration. In order to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, it is crucial that, unless unable to do so, all students take in-person classes. Drivers ed is critical to putting safe and experienced drivers on the road, so why don’t our cities take it more seriously? Why can anyone sign up for a class online and easily pass the class? If we want to lower driving related deaths, we must first raise our standards for earning a drivers ed certificate.

I have never personally been in a bad car accident, and luckily no one close to me has either. However, that does not mean it is impossible. Everyone has it drilled into their heads not to drink and drive, but something that does not get talked about quite as often is using a phone while driving. I know people that do not think twice before responding to a text while driving, and while it doesn’t seem like three seconds looking down can hurt anything, it can and does. It takes less than three seconds for the car in front of you to break suddenly. Less than three seconds for a kid into the road, less than three seconds for you to put your phone down and save multiple lives. It is my responsibility to make sure my phone is out of reach when I am behind the wheel, and to stop others when I see them driving while distracted. In order to become a better driver, I need to be alert and prepared at all times. I need to stay away from anything that could distract me from the road, and I need to not only encourage others to do so but speak up when they don’t. The only way we can reduce driving related deaths is if everyone is properly educated and does their part to keep distracted drivers off the road.