Name: Jillian Moynihan
From: St. John, Indiana
Votes: 0
Driver
education holds you accountable for your actions and is vital to
keeping yourself and others safe. It bestows a person with the
knowledge, skills, and qualities of a good driver. When people do not
know the rules of the road, it increases the risk of accidents
greatly. More than 90 people die every day due to car accidents in
the United States. This number is incredibly high, and can be easily
avoided by making the effort to follow the rules from driver
education.
There
are many reasons why people get into car accidents, but the two
reasons that stand out the most are reckless and distracted driving.
Reckless driving is driving a vehicle in a way that disregards the
safety of people or property. One example of reckless driving is the
act of speeding. Most people choose to speed because they believe
that they will arrive to their intended destination much faster by
doing so. Risking the life of yourself and others is not worth
getting to your destination 3 minutes faster than normal. Distracted
driving has become a much bigger issue recently, especially relating
to phone usage behind the wheel. Texting and driving has become a
widespread epidemic today. Technology is such a central part of our
lives that people have become accustomed to always being on it. Many
people deem it to be ok if they glance at their phone while driving,
but they don’t realize how long they are actually distracted for.
As a society we can place stricter laws, such as higher fees on those
caught speeding, or suspension of license on caught texting and
driving. These laws, as well as expressing the dangers of reckless
and distracted driving, will give more incentive for people to drive
safely.
My
family friend has unfortunately been in a catastrophic car accident.
When she was a young adult, she chose to drive without a seatbelt. A
truck swerved into her lane without noticing her vehicle and struck
her from the side. This accident resulted in breaking her ribcage,
ankle, arm, and severe concussion. If she was wearing her seatbelt,
the accident would not have been so devastating. Reckless driving
could have taken her life that day, but she is lucky enough to have
survived to tell the tale and teach others the importance of safe
driving.
There
are countless steps one can take to become a better driver, but that
person must truly desire to live out what they learn. Driver’s
education is vital to beginning a young adult’s knowledge and
responsibility of rules of the road. Not only understanding the rules
enforced while driving, but also understanding why they are enforced
and how they help save lives can lead to safer driving. Understanding
the immense responsibility one takes on before stepping into a
vehicle can give an incentive to focus on the road and other cars.
