Name: Gracie Ann Haywood
From: Batavia, Ohio
Votes: 1
How
Not to be The Next Statistic
Driver
education should be deeply rooted in our culture and a mandatory
learning experience for all drivers. The average amount of deaths in
America from driving is 34,000 each year and no one wants to be the
next statistic. Educating drivers can reduce the number of deaths,
because many car accidents involve teenage or young adults who are
new to driving. The risk of motor vehicle accidents is higher among
16-19 year olds than any other age group and educating these drivers
can reduce the risk of fatalities.
There
are various steps that can be taken as repercussions before driving.
For instance drivers ed, becoming more aware of other drivers,
and how to be prepared when an accident does happen. Discussions for
what to do if you’re in a car accident could be active during
sessions in high schools, colleges, or even at fields of work. One of
the most important steps to avoiding an accident is to be very aware
of other drivers and your surroundings. Take into account that you
should be able to hear what’s going on while driving and make sure
other drivers aren’t running a red light when you’re at a stop
light. These steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths
related to driving.
I
have been in multiple accidents as an adolescent, but one that
traumatized me was when I was the driver. I was 17 and I was driving
on the highway when an older woman tried to come across my lane of
traffic without realizing how close I was to her and she nearly
t-boned my car as I was going around 45 mph. I tried to slam on my
brakes, but it all happened so quickly and there was nothing I could
do. I was wearing my seatbelt and paying attention to the road when I
saw her driving towards me and after the accident, the police said if
I wouldn’t have slammed on my brakes then she could’ve slammed
into the drivers side and it could’ve been a completely different
story. My car was totaled, but since I was aware of what was
happening on the road, both drivers weren’t hurt.
I
think that being on the phone while driving has been on the rise in
my generation and it has become a great distraction while driving.
Multiple friends of mine have gotten into serious wrecks just by
dropping their phone in the floor and trying to reach it or simply
replying to a text; I am even bad about changing the song while
driving or sometimes becoming distracted. I think if we all limited
phone usage or pulled over to use our phones then we can be safer
drivers.
