Independent Driving

On
March 9, 2016, I, alongside my family, experienced a pain and
heartbreak unlike any other due to the death of my aunt caused by a
car accident. Her car was struck by another driver and she was killed
on impact. Since that day, I have made a point to be the safest
driver I can be by adhering to driving laws and being as attentive as
possible. Through this, I have acquired new thoughts on safe driving,
thought of laws I believe should be implemented and know what I can
do to be safe in a vehicle.

Being
a teenager when this happened, I was not as serious about vehicle
safety as I am now which I think is how most new drivers are being so
excited about having received their license. As teens are more
focused on spending time with their friends and having the ability to
go places on their own, they place less focus on safe driving and
risk the lives of not only themselves and their friends but other
drivers on the road. While I feel most teens lack this focus on
safety despite having seen and heard testimonials during a Driver’s
Education course that speak on the importance of driver safety, there
could be things to combat this.

Personally,
I feel that teens should have a longer permitted driver period to
better learn safe driving and attend a mandatory Drivers ed
course longer and more extensive than what teens take now to obtain
their driver’s license. In attending this year-long course, I
believe newly permitted drivers should have to take alternating
bi-monthly handwritten and driver’s tests while also hearing
in-person testimonials on the importance of safe driving
to
graduate the course and receive their license. By implementing these
steps, new drivers will have a better understanding of driver and
vehicle safety and the importance of attentiveness while driving.
Countless lives could be saved by the smallest changes in the process
of obtaining a driver’s license while emphasizing the value of
driving and independence attached to it. New drivers are finding
their independence and risky driving can take away that independence
from not only them but others. I think if this notion is highlighted,
although it is now already important, new drivers might understand
what their careless driving can cause.

Since
that day in 2016, I have done all I could to emphasize the importance
of safe driving to myself and others. I make it clear to others, I
will only remain in a vehicle if full attention is placed on driving
and I will accept no less than that. If this was everyone’s thought
process towards driving, the roads would continue to grow safer every
single day. Driving deserves the utmost care and attention, but
majority of drivers do not treat it with that. I have hope for deaths
due to careless driving to decrease but this will not happen until
there is more care from the individual in the driver’s seat.