Hello my fellow Whyvillians. You know that "asl" saying? When people have told me their "asl" I've notice that quite a few of them are teenagers. Which means getting more adult responsibilities as you grow up such as getting a job, driving a car, going to parties, staying up late, and probably having a serious relationship. Being a teenager myself, I've noticed that adult-like responsibilities are not that easy as they may seem.
I have noticed, from where I live, a high number of teenage deaths related to car accidents. Last year in 2008, a close friend of mine was killed in a car accident. Aecho was only a junior in high school when her Honda Civic was struck by a northbound Buick. I'm ashamed to say she was not using her head on that crisp September 1st day. She was texting while she was driving. My friend was only 16 years old when her life was taken.
Which brings me to why I am writing this article for our Whyville Times. To talk to you about some things you can to do to remain safe on the roads. Now you may think this is pointless, although it can make a big difference in your life. Your parents may have already told you about being cautious on the roads, and I'd think of this article of a little reminder to those of you who may be a little forgetful.
Let's first talk about texting. Now I'm assuming that most teenagers have cell phones and texting. If you have ever texted while driving and think it's not a big deal, let me tell you that you're wrong. As for you have not texted wile driving, give yourself a pat on the back. Texting while driving can be very dangerous. Especially if you have passengers in the car while doing so. You know those annoying little ringers that let you know if you got a message or a call? Well if you do have a cell phone in the car with you I'd advise you to put it on silent or vibrate. If you think a call is urgent then you may want to pull the car over to a safe spot to answer to it. I'm not saying to do this on a busy street or in the middle of a street. You'd probably want to pull over to a curb.
Now another thing you may want to do is not have too many people in the car with you. This could be distracting and put more people in danger of an accident. While coming home from those super fun parties be sure to be careful of any other people crossing roads late at night. Another thing is if you have to give somebody a ride home make sure no alcohol was involved. Drunk drivers may lead to more unnecessary deaths of young adults and teenagers.
Now here's one more very useful tip and most common too, wear a seat belt. I'm sure you have heard it may times before to wear one while in a moving vehicle. Did you know that there was a report in Sioux Falls, South Dakota of a teenage driver being flung through a windshield? That's a true story. Take a guess how it happened. The silly girl wasn't wearing a seat belt. Now for those who think that wearing one isn't a big deal think of what I just told you. You never know what could happen. I'm not trying to scare you but it could be you someday. That's why a seat belt is an important factor of on road safety. Just by putting on a seat belt you're lowering your risk of being seriously injured in a car accident. It is still possible to be hurt while wearing a seat belt, but it lowers the risk of being seriously hurt quite a bit.
Now from this information I have mentioned in this article you'll probably remember some things that may happen on the road. Be aware of what can and does happen everyday. Count your blessings that it doesn't happen to you. For all you future drivers, something you could do is talk to your parent or guardian about some road safety. I hope that from some things in this article you have thought about future choices of what you will do next time on the road. Until next time my fellow Whyvillians!
Sincerely,
mood10
