Name: Paloma Isabella Palmer
From: El Paso, Texas
Votes: 0
When I
was first learning how to drive, I remember thinking that I couldn’t
wait until the day I had a car and could drive around with my
friends, music blasting, windows down, laughing and talking. As I
took my first drive at a drivers ed class, this vision very quickly
changed. I realized there is a lot more to driving and staying safe
on the road.
From
that point on, I took drivers ed more seriously. The classes I
took taught me more than just how to drive a car, but also to stay
more conscious of my surroundings, as well as the importance of
getting rid of all distractions when driving. As soon as we sat down
in the driver’s seat, we turned our phones off, handed them to the
instructor, turned off the music, and focused. Drivers ed is
vital to all drivers, it provides a basic foundation for the rules of
the road as well as preparation for more advanced driving techniques.
However, despite its importance, many teens and adults don’t take
drivers ed classes and face the repercussions of it as they are more
likely to be involved in accidents on the road.
One way
we can reduce the number of fatalities related to driving is through
more social media awareness on being safe while driving. Almost
everyone uses some form of social media and businesses and various
political, environmental, and health campaigns have been extremely
successful using social media as an outlet. Posts are so easy to
share that if one person is able to reach out online about the
importance of safe driving, it can reach thousands within minutes.
Though I
have never been in a serious car accident, I know people who have.
Just last week, one of my friends got in a huge wreck going back to
school from lunch. The other driver didn’t stop at a T intersection
with no stop sign. Had she attended drivers ed classes she would have
known to stop. Fortunately no one was hurt, however, both walked away
knowing they had to be more cautious and to take driving more
seriously. Many times we forget that with a car comes both freedom
and responsibility. When you’re out on the road, you have the
potential to kill someone, or even yourself.
Whenever
I drive I make sure to put all distractions away; my phone is on do
not disturb, the music doesn’t get loud, and if I have others with
me, I remember that their safety is now in my hands. I keep these
things in mind when I’m a passenger as well.
