The importance of being a safe and educated driver

Statictics in the US, shows that of late there is been an increase in death as a result of road accidents and road carnage. There is a saying that says Knowledge is power and l believe all drivers need to be made aware of the the statistics so they are mindful and make sober decisions while driving. We know that far too many people are dying on our roadways in preventable crashes.It is very important to have regular driver education especially with the younger generation as this group seems to be the most number of deaths due to reckless driving

The following are some of the steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving:-

1. People should be encouraged to attend driving school to be taught proper better driving techniques and it makes one aware of the rules of the road as opposed to be taught to drive by parents or a licensed adult or friend, which l personally feel is not very thorough and less informative on driver education.

2. I think the learners permit age should be revisited from 15 years to 16 or even 17years in all states so l feel young teenagers are driving way to learn hence unnecessary road accidents due to lack of experience and lack of proper driving techniques.

3. The use of using a cellphone while driving should be abolished completely as this increases crash risk as drivers concentration levels are reduced with cellphone use. In most cases it distracts the mind (mental distraction). Most accidents happen in a split of a second, any distraction using a cellphone like texting while driving, video calling while driving of vlogging while driving is dangerous because in most cases the drivers eyes and hands are off the road. If the car in front hits sudden bakes it may results in a crash or the driver may miss road signs like stops signs or may skip a red traffic light resulting in road accidents

4. Driving under the influence of alcohol is another major reason of road accidents. When one is intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or substance abuse their judgment is compromised and it affects your vision resulting in poor judgement. A driver might misjudge their speed and the speed of other vehicles near them. These side effects puts the driver, potential passengers, other vehicles and even pedestrians at great risks.

5. Another factor to consider to reduce the number of road death is driving a vehicle that is not road worthy with malfunctioning features as this can be a death trap as they do not meet or have not been certified to meet certain road standards . Vehicles with faulty brakes, loose hanging wires under the vehicle are dangerous can be cause a fire as the car is in motion. Worn out tires are also another critical safety feature that is dangerous on the roads and can cause risks of accidents. I have witness a tire peel off and snapped off a moving vehicle then landed on another moving vehicle causing the other vehicle to over turn several times leaving occupants seriously injured. Unserviced vehicles and poorly maintained engines can also cause a vehicle to overheat, boil which can result in fires or explosions with lives being lost in the process.

I have once experienced reckless driving before and the driver ended up being injured affecting his spinal code. So one weekend my brother asked me to accompany him to watch a car burnout show (drag racing). I knew this was a dangerous show but l accompanied him all the same. i witnessed several vehicles spinning and burning tires causing tires to smoke and the crowd cheered in excitement until one vehicle overturned and caught fire as the driver lost control. He ended up getting badly injured all over his body. I think such shows such be banned and disallowed completely as it is not only dangerous but reckless.

Steps that l think should be taken to be a better and safe driver include:

Road signs must be more visible with billboards emphasizing on safety especially at night when drivers tend to speed (knowledge is Power).

Stiffer penalties should be implemented to road offenders who drive under the influence and banned from driving if it results in death of a person(s).

All of these steps and methods make driving much safer for both drivers and so everyone can stay safe.