Safe Today Saves Tomorrow

As driving becomes almost second nature to us humans, there are still many factors and risks that can change our lives within an instant. Well over 36,000 people have died in car accidents in the United States in 2018 and millions were also injured. Driving gives individuals freedom and is a privilege. But driving is not a right due to the steps that are required of us to be given the privilege such as studying the rules of the road for a permit, going to driving school, getting actual practice, and getting tested on these skills we have learned to earn our license.

Not everyone can earn their license. In the state of Maryland, teens can take the first step to getting their license, the permit, at the age of 15 years and 9 months. By the time you’re 16 years and 6 months they could earn their provisional license which is close to a full license just with restrictions. But between these time periods teens are constantly studying and practicing for this test. They’re learning the fundamental rules of the road. Driver education is important because you have to be a knowledgeable and skillful driver. In Maryland driving school is required after obtaining your permit and you have to enroll in your local driving school before you can take your provisional driving test. In driving school they go through the basic rules of the road, all of the signs and pavement markings you may see on the road, operating your vehicle, and how to handle risky and unpredictable situations. Being enrolled in driving school reduces the number of fatal accidents and violations, stated in Drive-Safely.net, “teens who do not enroll in driving school are 75% more likely to violate rules and get a ticket, and 24% more likely to be involved in a fatal accidents or death”.

Besides driving school there are other precautions  we as individuals can take to reduce the amount risks we take when driving. Starting with having a good attitude before getting behind the wheel and actually being behind the wheel. Younger teens may experience nervousness before getting behind the wheel which is normal, your life as well are other are in your hands when driving. But having a better attitude and having confidence could help tremendously rather than being nervous and shaky behind the wheel. Another precaution we could take would be always making sure you and everyone in your vehicle are buckled up before driving. Wearing a seatbelt decreases reduces risks up to 50%. My next point should be a no brainer when it comes to driving but there are still people who break this rule and end up ruining lives and ruining their life by not abiding by this rule but never operate a vehicle while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol as this risk has caused the deaths of adults and even young children. Always have a designated driver if you plan on having a couple drinks. Also, remaining focused when behind the wheel and avoiding being distracted. This means leaving the phones alone until you have reached your destination. Many individuals lives have been ruined due to this action, a quick glance at your phone or just a text back, it doesn’t matter. It can wait.

My mother was involved in an accident years ago when I was in middle school. I remember that day as I had recently gotten in trouble at school and my teacher had called home after school. This was around the time my mom was getting off from work in Towson and her job is about a 20-30 minute drive depending on traffic but on this day it was raining heavily and my mom was supposed to take my dad’s car because he has better tires but she had forgotten. I remember being nervous, knowing the teacher was calling home and I had told my father about it to warn him and give him my side of story before my teacher could say anything to him. But then my father had told me my mother had been in an accident while on the phone with my teacher. He had to take us to my grandparents house while he went to the hospital to make sure she was okay. After they came back from the hospital and came to get me and my siblings, I noticed my mother was limping due to the crash, she said her body was in shock and pain. Still to this day she has nervousness when driving while it’s raining heavily and she is always on top of changing her tires when it’s time to. I was also involved in my first accident with my provisional license, I was getting off from work which was about 15 minutes from my house and I was making a right when a vehicle behind me was trying to get in front of me but did so on the wrong side of road. It wasn’t a fatal crash but I was startled and didn’t know what to do. I pulled over and called my mom immediately. I had to go through retelling the story to the police and insurance company. This was hard for me as I had been shocked from the crash and sort of blanked out and I couldn’t remember what happened. After my first crash I had to go back to work and make the same right turn I had made when I got into the accident which made me nervous and question myself as driver.

As a driver I have learned to not be as nervous to drive and to be more fully aware so I can recall everything if something does happen again. There is unfortunately millions amounts of examples as to why driver education and driver safety is important and instead of creating more, we should take those examples seriously and raise awareness for driving safety and enforcing more requirements to obtain and keep your license.