Name: madelyn brooke carpenter
From: edmond, ok
Votes: 0
In
the Driver’s Seat Essay
It
is crucial that we start educating every young driver, well before
the driving age, as to increase their situational awareness and
decrease the odds of them being careless when driving and causing
deadly accidents. The earlier we start educating them on the rules of
the road, the more they will retain that information and apply it
when they become of age. Some helpful steps more people could take to
help avoid the number of deaths related to driving, are as follows:
First, Drive defensively. I was always taught to drive like everyone
else on the road didn’t know how to drive. Second, always turn off
or put away any potential distractions, such as phones, tablets,
pagers etc. It is best to put those things down and away before you
start driving and leave them there until you reach your destination;
don’t even pull them out at a stoplight. And third, always be
scanning your surroundings while driving and checking all your
mirrors. By doing this, you are being situationally aware, and you
may be able to spot a potential hazard and avoid it before it gets
bad. I personally have only been in a couple car accidents in my life
up to this point. Both of those accidents were when I was a kid, in
the backseat of my parents’ car. Thankfully, neither accident was
bad, and nobody ever got hurt, my parents are generally good drivers.
I was
almost hit by a car twice though, both times less than a year ago.
The first time, it was late, and I was driving to a friend’s house to
stay the night, and this guy in a truck sped up around a corner and
almost T-boned me on the driver’s side. The second incident, I was
walking across the school parking lot, my senior year in high school,
and this guy driving a nice, black, mustang was just down the lot,
driving slowly. As I got halfway across the street, almost to the
sidewalk, the guy in the mustang sped up by probably 10 miles per
hour and stopped just 3 inches from my body. There are many different
forms of being a reckless driver, and both of these incidents are key
examples. Now, I’m not going to say that I am a perfect driver
because Lord knows I’m not. One major thing I could improve in my
driving is being more cautious and aware before making turns, on any
kind of street, and keeping in mind who has the right of way, in
every situation. In conclusion, if there was one thing that I could
do to help others be safe drivers on the road, it would be sharing
the knowledge and tips I have on driving with new or soon to be
drivers, so hopefully when they get out there on the road, they will
be well informed and aware drivers.
