Name: Amy Gomez
From: Austell, Georgia
Votes: 0
The
Blink of an Eye
It’s the day of your road test, butterflies are fluttering in your
stomach, the examiner is taking notes, all you hear is the gentle hum
of the engine and the click of their pen. You carefully park the
vehicle and sit in silence, while the suspense of those life-changing
results lingers in the air, but the question no one seems to be
asking is, “Do you fully understand the heavy responsibility that
it takes to be a safe driver?” As we know, driving is not simply
about starting the engine and maneuvering from A to B. It is about
focus, multitasking, and awareness. Education is very important when
it comes to driving. Although one does not learn how to drive through
courses, they can learn everything they need to know and apply this
knowledge on the road. Traffic incidents occur because of human
error, learning the rules of the road is a key factor in preventing
these incidents. There are many laws that new drivers do not learn,
due to improper education. For example, if a new driver has never
encountered a police car pulled over to the side of the highway with
their lights on, how else would they know to change lanes when they
are alone and do not have access to parental guidance? We do not know
how every family operates when it comes to educating new drivers,
therefore, I believe that everyone, regardless of age, should take a
drivers ed course before taking the exam to further reduce the
chance of death behind the wheel. It is impossible to properly
educate someone on every encounter they could have while driving by
simply running errands together. Therefore, by requiring everyone to
take a drivers ed course, we can guarantee that there will not be
any surprises on the road. All the laws would have been exposed, the
dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol will
be taught, and everyone can learn the basic roadway etiquette to
further prevent conflict on the road. Although I have never been
involved in a car accident, I see friends, family, and even other
drivers driving irresponsibly on the road very frequently. Whether it
is turning without using your turn signals or applying makeup, people
tend to forget that driving has very little room for human error. A
simple mistake can cost you your life or the life of another; but why
do we forget these things when we are behind the wheel? Is it
arrogance or overconfidence? Why do we as humans lose sight of what
is important when we most need it? To maintain good driving habits, I
always tell myself anything can occur in the blink of an eye. All it
takes is one second for your entire life to change. So, the next time
my phone beeps next to me, I leave it exactly where it is; and I
remember the responsibility I possess at that moment.
