Driving: It’s A Priviledge

When I turned 14 years old, I immediately asked my mother if she would take me to get my driver’s permit. I have always wanted to drive, and I had been waiting for that day. I knew in Kansas, kids were allowed to get a permit early and with the permit, I had one year to gain driving experience to receive my full driver’s license and gain some independence. I had been studying for months to prepare for the test and when the time came, I passed the test on the first try. I was so excited.

My parents later enrolled me in a driver’s education program, so that I would learn the rules of the road and learn how to be a safe and responsible driver. When I read these scholarship requirements, it was scary to learn that an average of 34,000 people die in driving related accidents every year. I had no idea that the number was so high, so I was grateful that my parents felt that the best way for me to learn to drive was to be taught by a professional. I was not only taught how to be safe, but also how to be a responsible driver.

Driving is important to me, and I don’t take the privilege lightly. I have had a few fender benders when I first began driving that included things like hitting a curve or my mailbox, but those little incidents were nothing compared to what I see often at my high school. I have witnessed so many accidents in the school parking lot that I intentionally wait an hour after school ends before driving home; all to avoid dealing with the reckless behavior of students leaving the school. Fortunately, my school has not experienced any fatalities, but other schools in our area have and it terrifies me. As high school students, we often times believe that we are invincible and forget that a car is a machine that is powerful and not a toy to be played with.

I am thankful that I have never been in a series accident, but my best friend’s mom, Mrs. Thomas was in a fatal accident when she was in high school and because of the accident, it changed the type of driver that I want to be. She said that darkness and elevated speed coupled with the car’s malfunctioned breaks, caused the car to crash and immediately burst into flames. Mrs. Thomas, her sister and a friend survived the crash although they all sustained burns over substantial parts of their bodies. Unfortunately, there was a fourth passenger who did not survive. She was part of the 34,000 that year. Now when I see my Mrs. Thomas or her sister, who sustained burns over 80% of her body, it humbles me to drive with caution and a purpose and to know that at the blink of an eye, an accident can happen, and a life can be lost.

I have only been driving for a few years and I know that I have a lot more to learn and experience. I also know that the longer a drive, the better I will become. The three best courses of action for kids my age to become better and safer drivers are to:

(1) Know that driving is privilege. There are many countries where teenagers and women are not allowed to drive, so we should feel grateful to have the opportunity.

(2) Abide by the speed limits that are imposed because they are set for a reason. My dad is retired Army and was at one point stationed in Germany. He always speaks about the Autobahn and how there are no speed limits. He always says that we could never have those types of highways in the United States, because we are not as careful and considerate enough of others.

(3) Put the cell phone down! I believe that a majority of accidents are caused by texting, talking and driving. We are too distracted. Our brains can’t do all those things effectively at once. We just need to put away our devices and just drive, especially young people. We aren’t in our cars long enough to need to text and drive. I say, text before you get behind the wheel and call when you arrive.

These rules are quite simple, and it will make us all a bit safer and can definitely reduce the amount of automobile related deaths in the long run.