Car Accident Prevention

In today’s modern world, everyone either has a car or is a passenger in a car. Driving is a valuable skill that at one point or another must be learned and mastered. While driving is a privilege it can also be very dangerous. If done incorrectly it can be life-threatening for the driver, passengers, and the outside world. There are many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of car accidents and deaths related to driving.

One step I recommend to reduce the number of car accidents and deaths related to driving is driver education. The way people learn how to drive and operate their automobile shape them as drivers for the future so it is critical that the proper information is given. Prevention is the best method to decrease the number of car accidents. It is a common saying that children are the future of the world and I agree. Driver education starts with the youth of the world and providing the youth with the proper information. Driver education sets up the youth for their entire driving future which is why it is crucial for them to learn the proper information. There are required courses to be taken to obtain a driver’s license but as someone who has taken this course already, I can say that there is much to be added and improved upon. Adding common driving mistakes and how to prevent/correct said mistakes into these courses would be a great starting point. It would also be valuable to include how to fix basic car malfunctions and issues that may occur while operating your vehicle. For example, what to do if you get a flat tire is a common occurrence that most young drivers don’t know how to approach and end up getting into accidents because they don’t know the proper steps to take. In addition, including how to drive in different weather conditions such as rain and snow would also be beneficial to include.

Another step to combat the increasing number of car accidents is keeping our drivers alert and focused completely on the road. Unfortunately, in today’s modern world, it is common for a lot of people to be on their devices while operating a vehicle. It is never acceptable to be using cellular devices while operating a vehicle even if the vehicle is stopped. Distracted driving is one of the biggest threats on the road, especially for other drivers. Recently the company Apple released a feature for their phones called Do Not Disturb While Driving. I personally use this feature and it has been very helpful for me since it is tempting to use my phone. This feature if activated will not display notifications during the drive. It automatically turns on once the driver starts moving and commences when the drive is over. There is an added feature that can be turned on to notify other people who try to call and text that the driver is on the road.

I have never personally caused a car accident myself, but I have been a passenger in a vehicle while a car accident occurred. The accident was extremely preventable and could have been avoided if the driver had braked in time. With the proper training most if not all accidents can be avoided. While being in the passenger to many of my friend’s and families’ cars I have noticed that everyone can take steps to be a safer and better driver as well as be safer for others on the road. A few of the most common mistakes I see include texting and driving, not using a turn signal, not looking both ways while crossing intersections and main roads, not stopping at stop signs, speeding, running red lights, switching gears while the car is not completely stopped, not breaking at the proper times, switching lanes at improper times, not leaving enough following distance, and backing up without looking both ways first. Once a car accident has occurred it is too late to fix driving errors which is why prevention is the best method.

Being a safe driver means holding others accountable to be a safe driver as well. It is important to speak up when you see errors occurring because it could potentially save a life. It not only saves a life, but it can also help other drivers be the best driver they possibly can which can help decrease car accidents. It only takes one second for a car accident to occur. It only takes one second for a life to be taken and irreversible damage to occur because of other people’s mistakes.