Driving is no joke

As a new driver, I am honestly scared to drive. I live in South Carolina, the 10th most dangerous state to drive in. I am only comfortable driving in my neighborhood or in a parking lot. I’m not sure when I will feel confident driving on the highway. The number of accidents that I have seen, has made me very intimidated. When my mother and I were coming home from school, a car completely went off the highway and smashed into the trees. On the same day, right before we crossed an intersection, two cars slammed into each other. It is difficult for new drivers not to be scared to drive. Many drivers think that they’re entitled to drive however they want and disregard other drivers’ safety.

Driver’s education is important for the safety of new drivers. Distracted driving is the number one cause of car crashes. Cell phones cause distraction more than ever. It’s an addiction. Teenagers are always looking at their phones, even when they are driving. In an effort to combat this situation, South Carolina enacted a hands-free law banning any mobile device to be touched for text-based communication while driving a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, this law is either disregarded or not enforced. No one should be on their phone when they are driving. The laws need more restrictive and active police enforcement is essential to stop these offenders. Having knowledge, skills, and the right attitude toward road safety makes it safer for everyone. Additional traffic enforcement should be implemented. Not everyone can afford a driver’s education. Our state needs to provide classes to be accessible for everyone, so everyone is safe on the roads. Knowledgeable, trained drivers will pay for these free classes with a reduction in accidents and insurance claims and rates across the state.

When I was younger I was in a terrible automobile accident that changed me. A lady hit my father, best friend, and me. She ran the stop sign due to her being intoxicated. She not only almost took her and her friend’s life, but she also had a horse trailer with two horses on it. I will never forgive her for her ignorance of getting in that car and not caring whom she was going to affect that day with her reckless actions. I still remember very clearly what happened when we were hit. We slammed into a telephone pole and my head slammed into the airbag so hard that I got knocked out. When I awoke all I heard was my best friend screaming and crying. There was so much powder from the airbags that deployed that my friend thought that our car was going to catch fire. I remember calling my mom and it was so heart-wrenching to hear her reaction to what we had just gone through. I will never forgive or forget what that lady made my family go through. I hope I never have to experience anything like that again. I thought I was fine after the car crash and physically I didn’t get hurt. Two years after the car crash right outside of a building I was in, a car slammed into the car that was in front of him at the light. I watched as the car sped away with the bumper falling off. I had witnessed a hit-and-run. That wasn’t what affected me. I actually heard the slamming of brakes and the screeching and I started having a panic attack remembering what I went through that day, I hadn’t even noticed how much it affected me. The car crash I went through mentally upset me, nothing I would ever wish upon anyone else.

To help become a better driver you need to learn defensive driving and know your car before you get in. You might pass a test, but that is not the same as driving. I believe driving will always be a dangerous thing, but we can always try to prevent accidents by being mindful. I believe the cause of dangerous driving is drivers not thinking. Sometimes you need to take a step back and see how your actions can affect others. It’s always good to be considerate when driving because anything can happen. A backseat driver isn’t a funny joke, just one driver is not always enough. Maybe you didn’t see the deer next to you in the pasture; it’s not annoying when you have their life in your hands. Driving is no joke and should always be taken seriously when you get in the driver’s seat.