Name: Neha Sunkara
From: Pearland, TX
Votes: 0
The phone screen lights up, and as soon as he or she looks down, it’s
over in a split second. The car is flipped over on the side of the
road, and there is another one with a dent in it across from its line
of sight. There are thousands of fatal car accidents on the roads
year-round, and there is an even larger myriad of people being
injured because of collisions caused by distracted drivers.
Young drivers, especially, are victims of car crashes because they
are either too distracted by an object within the vehicle or outside
the vehicle, they have slow reflexes and possess a lack of
observation skills, and they are guilty of recklessness when it comes
to abiding by the speed limit. It is known that in our society, young
individuals have difficulty developing patience because social media
and technology have marketed the concept of instant gratification,
and this ideology has in return harmed teenagers because they
disregard speed limit rules in order to arrive at their destination
as soon as possible.
Currently, the driving system and tests are flawed because
individuals can be taught by their parents and record a number of
hours that they went driving for that can easily be forged.
Furthermore, states should put forth funding to require that every
high school needs to have a driving school for students to learn the
rules of the road, and they will complete their driving experience
and knowledge at that school before taking their driver’s test.
This will encourage students to focus on developing valuable skills
like observation, quick reflexes, and learning to avoid distractions
before driving in the real world. In addition, states need to require
that driver’s tests be administered more than once in order to
obtain and keep a driver’s license. The main issue is that many
teenagers pass their driving test because it takes place in a
neighborhood setting where many skills are not tested as the driver
is only going 25 to 30 miles per hour. Therefore, after the
individual has obtained a driver’s license, they need to be
required to be tested again in one to two years on a road not
contained in a neighborhood environment to observe whether or not
they are handling themselves appropriately on the road.
To become a safer driver, I adhere to the laws by wearing a seatbelt,
following the signs on the road, and not becoming distracted by any
electronic devices. In order to aid others to prevent them from
getting into car crashes, if they need to text someone, as the
passenger, I type for them, tell them the directions, and I make sure
the music is not too distracting to the driver.
In conclusion, while the implementation of new rules restricts the
freedom of young drivers, it is important to recognize that these
rules are in place to save the lives of young teens. When it comes to
more freedom or saving your life, it isn’t a difficult choice.
