Persuasive Essay: Think Before You Drive

Think Before You Drive As early as the age of three, many of us are intrigued by the idea of driving a car. We pretend to “drive” as we roll down the hallways of our homes in our Little Tikes plastic cars, swerving to avoid made-up obstacles and racing our friends at preschool in their matching vehicles. By the age of fourteen or fifteen, we are counting down the days until we are of age so that we can make the exciting trip to the DMV, where sixteen years of being chauffeured around by our parents come to an end. Obtaining a driver 's license has become a rite of passage for teenagers everywhere. But is this privilege really all it’s made out to be? Although driving is a convenient and familiar mode of transportation, learning to operate

Every time you get behind the wheel, you are willingly exposing yourself to an unlimited number of dangers. Imagine you’re on your way to the grocery store to pick up some milk. You’re flying down the interstate at 70 miles per hour (or more) and the only thing separating you from the rock solid cement of the road in the event of an accident is a two millimeter-thick piece of fabric, an inflatable balloon in your steering wheel, and a thin sheet of glass. Unless you decide to wear some sort of heavy-duty football gear on your way to the supermarket, that’s all that would be protecting your body if something went horribly wrong. We hear about devastating car accidents all the time, but rarely do we change our own driving habits because of them. Drivers under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, distracted drivers, and drivers who are exceeding the speed limit are creating a variety of hazards for themselves and those around them. Even if we are exceptionally cautious, there is always a possibility of getting in a wreck when we are driving or riding as a passenger in a

The price of gas is constantly fluctuating, has peaked at nearly three dollars per gallon in the past. Multiply that by the number of gallons in your car and you’re faced with fifty or more dollars for one fill up. The cost of car insurance can be steep, especially if the driver is young or the car is of the sport variety. Many teenagers use a large portion of their already meager paycheck to fuel their car when they could be putting that money toward something else, such as college funds or a savings account. Adults that must commute to work could save money used for gas and parking to pay for electric bills and fund retirement accounts. Strategically saving money over time, even in small amounts, can pay dividends in the long