Name: Brianna Fanning
From: Buies Creek, NC
Votes: 0
Fanning
2
Brianna
Fanning
Drive
Safe Essay
November
30 2019
Y’all
Drive Safe Now Ya Hear!
Just
a few days ago, my younger brother turned 16 years old and under
North Carolina law, received his limited provisional license. In
order to qualify, he completed a mandatory seated class and behind
the wheel instructed drive times. After a year of holding a permit,
he was able to take another supervised driving test at our local DMV.
Thankfully, and to my amazement, he passed with flying colors. New
drivers hit the roads without parental supervision with excitement
and limited self control. Paired with little parental supervision and
newfound freedom, this privilege can have disastrous outcomes.
That
is why drivers ed is so important and necessary to reduce the
number of deaths caused as a result of driving. Learning the rules of
the road, proper car maintenance, and successful driving strategies
all act as a solid foundation for new drivers.Current drivers ed
courses feature instructional videos preaching the need to avoid
texting while driving but in reality, have little effect on behavior.
I see this first hand when riding with my friends and family. Most
people rarely think twice about responding to a text or answering
their phone…putting their lives as well as everyone else’s on the
line. I witnessed the result of texting and driving on September 3,
2018. My best friend, Cayla, was on her way to my home when she
decided to respond to a job opportunity via text. While attempting to
multitask on the highway, she was in a severe car accident that
shattered both femurs and caused a brain hematoma. First responders
were quick to the scene and doctors managed to save her legs. The
thought that she almost lost her legs to reply to a text continues to
act as a guiding light every time I enter a vehicle.
Sadly,
most people need more motivation and incentive to drive safely. Over
the years, as the number of casualties due to phone use continually
increase, phone manufacturers need to become more proactive in
tackling this social issue. Steps such as deactivating non-urgent SMS
text, phone calls, and all social media could drastically reduce
deaths relating to driving. This could only be achieved through a
partnership between Mark Zuckerburg, Apple, Samsung, and top cellular
companies. While there are currently apps that offer monetary rewards
for leaving cell phones locked while driving, this is only a first
step toward fixing widespread unsafe driving practices.
In
the meantime, I can do my part by actively urging my friends and
family to put the phone away and focus on being a safe and attentive
driver.
