Driving Safely

What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving?

Driver education is important to reduce the number of deaths because of driving. Drivers do not automatically know what other drivers think or how they will respond. We have a clear set of laws and rules around driving, but new drivers do not automatically know these rules. They have to learn. Driver education teaches the laws and regulations around driving, as well as safety procedures and how to approach the action of driving with the thought of public safety. Driver education can be facilitated online, or in classrooms, or in one-on-one training sessions with professional driving instructors.

What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving?

Steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. If all new drivers learn the rules before they start driving, this decreases the risk of accidents by letting new drivers see a little bit of how more experienced drivers will respond. It will help new drivers make better decisions because they will have those rules memorized and know what action to take in different situations. Rules were made in response to prior accidents. New drivers can learn a lot about safe driving by learning these rules and avoiding the tragedies of the past.

Have you ever had an experience of being in a car accident or have seen your friends or family members driving irresponsibly?

My grandpa was in a severe car accident before I was born that left him with brain injury and it affected the rest of his life. His friend was driving, and they were coming down a hill, when some other drivers who were racing each other up the hill caused my grandpa’s friend to swerve to try and miss them. By doing this, their car went over the side of the hill and rolled many times to the bottom. Grandpa’s friend died in this accident, and my grandpa was in a coma and then had to spend several weeks in hospital before he stabilized and started his new life as a brain injured man. We do not know the people who were racing up the hill, they were never caught. It was a very scary experience for my grandpa. I can imagine that these were people who did not care about safety, but were trying to get a rush from driving too fast and racing each other up a quiet road. I wonder if they realize the devastation they caused.

I am lucky to be able to say that I have never been in a serious car accident. I do know that when I was about five years old someone rear-ended our family’s mini van while I was in the backseat. This accident was caused by a young man who was not looking both ways as he approached a turn, and he drove right into the back of our van. This was a minor accident that gave a few members of our family whiplash. I am grateful that I have the resources to learn the proper rules and I can prepare myself to drive better than this young man and not hit other drivers.

What steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help other become safer on the road?

There are several steps I am taking now as a learner to be a better and safer driver, and doing these steps will help others around me be safer on the road. Before I drove at all, I memorized the rules and regulations. After I received my “L,” I started taking driving lessons with a professional driving instructor. I have continued to read manuals so that I can try to improve my driving. To try to help others around me, I test my friends on the rules of the road. We talk about driving and the dangers that exist. Some dangers include everyday items like cellphones and coffees. Anything that has to be held, when my hand is supposed to be on the steering wheel, is a hazard. I am increasing my observation skills, by deliberately noting and stating out loud what I see within 10 feet in front of me, 50 feet in front of me, and as far down the road as I can see. The more signs and other drivers and pedestrians and cyclists that I can identify ahead of reaching them in the car leads to making better decisions in the moment that I have reached their positions.

I believe that defensive driving practices are vital to the safety and well-being of myself, my friends and my family. I look for opportunities to increase my knowledge and practice the skills of safe driving. I make sure my cellphone is on silent and put away in a bag in the backseat or a glove box or somewhere where it will not distract me while I am driving. If I am hungry or thirsty, I make a point of eating and drinking while the car is parked somewhere safe. I talk out my observations while driving to help the people training me know what I am noticing, and they can help me identify things that I have missed. I will continue to work on being a very safe and conscientious driver.