Roads should always be safe, and here’s how

84.1% of the population in the United States drives. That’s around 233 million people. This also means that there are a lot of people on the road at any given time. To get your license in the United States you have to go through driver’s ed or if you are over 18 you still need to take a test at the DMV. But driver’s ed is a very important step in the process of getting your license. It is the place where you learn the basics about driving and the rules of the road. You could technically still drive without this knowledge but to be safe and to make sure everyone else on the road is safe, the lessons you learn in driver’s ed are very important knowledge that you will carry with you for the rest of your life. If you have common sense and remember the rules of the road, you are being a great help in reducing the number of accidents and deaths caused by driving

Aside from driver ed, there are a few more steps that people can take when it comes to road safety and reducing the number of deaths related to driving. One thing that we could do is make driving laws and rules the same across all states. Driving laws are mostly similar between states but still, the small differences can cause confusion when driving between states. Another thing that could be done to reduce the number of deaths is more education about driving and the rules of the road. People are mainly educated in driver’s ed when they are very young and even though driver’s ed does give people a lot of information about how to be a good driver, when people get older some facts about driving become less remembered. So maybe requiring people to take a quick online course about driving every few years would be a good way to refresh one’s memory on the rules of the road.

Personally speaking, I, and nobody I know has ever been in a car accident. And I am very grateful for that. One of the closest things to an accident that has happened to me is I was once rear-ended in a parking lot but the only thing that happened was a few scratches were left on my rear bumper. But it still was a scary feeling of the car being jolted forward since it was a big truck that hit me. It was also scary because my little sister was in the back. Good thing we were both wearing our seatbelts because if this happened when we were going 45 mph or even on the highway, there could have been a chance of someone getting hurt and severe damage to the car. I have a small 2003 Honda Civic so if a big car or truck that was going fast was to hit my car there is no doubt that there would be damage. There was one other time that I got very close to an accident I was trying to take a left turn, and there was someone on the other side of the road also in the left turn lane, but last minute swerved to go straight and we both had to slam on the breaks and our cars were less than a foot apart. It was a very scary experience and I remember shanking and almost crying afterward. But even though I was following the rules of the road and checked multiple times to make sure the way was clear, I couldn’t have anticipated that the other driver was going to change their mind at the last minute and almost hit me. Driving is not only making sure that you are a safe driver and following the rules of the road but also keeping an eye on the other drivers and being prepared if they do something that you didn’t anticipate.

There are some main steps that I can take to make sure that I am a better driver and make sure that I am safe on the roads. One way is to remember the things that I learned in driver’s ed and to make sure that I know the rules of the roads such as what to do at certain stops, what road signs mean, and what to do in case of a road emergency if my car breaks down. Another thing I can do is make sure that I am not distracted in my car, and if I am a passenger in a car, make sure I am not distracting the driver. This can include not being or looking at my phone, keeping my eyes on the road and watching out for other cars, and not talking too much or too loud if there are other people in the car, as to be able to keep focus on the road. One big last thing that I can do to be a better driver is to always be prepared. Before I go driving I can make sure I know about the weather forecast and if there will be any weather that can make my drive more difficult, and also be prepared and know what to do if my tire pops, if my brakes stop working, or if I run out of gas. Knowing all of these things can assure that I am not only a safer driver for myself, but also make everyone else on the road safer.