“Being Responsible while Driving is Key”

I think it is very important to attend driver’s ed for many reasons. A big reason I feel drivers ed is so important is to increase road safety. Driving is something we all almost do at some point in our lives. Making sure people are safe while driving is very vital. When attending drivers education they teach you the little things about driving that you didn’t even know you needed to know. Growing up in a small town and being raised on the farm I went to take my drivers lesson without going through drivers education thinking I knew everything you needed to know and I didnt. They teach you and help you gain all the knowledge you need to know to succeed in driving. In drivers education they get to be in the car with you multiple times to see if they feel like you are fully capable of passing the drivers test. If the driver’s education teacher thinks you are not safe on the road they will help you before they let you on the road again which can keep the death rates down and help the safety of you and the people you meet on the road. Even if you feel like you are the best driver there are other people in cars and you need to be aware of them as well. Being aware of what to do in situations and circumstances that can happen when you are driving will help keep the death rates down. Being safe while you’re on the road is going to not only keep you safe but other drivers on the road safe as well.

Everyone needs to do their part to help reduce the number of deaths related to driving. Staying focused while you’re driving is a leading cause of deaths. It can be so hard not to pick up your phone when you get a notification, or not take a picture of the pretty sunset you see, or not scroll through your phone on a long car trip when you get bored. Another big step is to not allow anyone under the influence in the driver’s seat, even if they had one beer. There are many different ways to get home if you have had a beer it is better to be safe than sorry. You could call a friend or a family member to take you home if they aren’t able to take a taxi, or even walk home if it is in town. If you know you’re going to be drinking that night, have an uber ready or let your friend know ahead of time, if you can’t find anyone to take you home that night just be smart and dont drink for the night. Another step is to stop all people from speeding. I am just as guilty for wanting to get somewhere on time or waking up late and knowing if I don’t speed I will miss class. Speeding can result in crashes easier because you will have less time to react or slow down, increases in speed can make a collision more deadly. If you feel like this is something you do often, maybe try setting your alarm earlier or know you have to leave your house 10 minutes earlier than you usually do.

I have had three friends die in the past two months in a car accident. The first friend was under the influence going way faster than they should have been on a dirt road and thought they knew where they were at. They didn’t know where they were and went into a ditch and did not survive. The second friend was just going too fast on a dirt road and wasn’t wearing a seat belt and following safety precautions which ended their life. The third wreck that has happened in such a short period of time was when one of my friends was going home late and didnt ask someone sober to drive and ended up rolling the vehicle which was also not wearing a seat belt and following safety precautions.

A step I can take when driving is to make sure to always wear my seatbelt while driving, even if I am going a few blocks I can still wear my seatbelt because collisions stil happen in town. Another step I can take is to keep preaching to my friends to find a ride before they start drinking and if I am there I can give them a ride and make sure they get home safely. The last step I can take and probably the hardest step for me would be to put my phone in the glove box or make sure it is somewhere where I wont get on it or be tempted to get distracted while I am on the road. These steps are very important and something we all need to work on to decrease deaths and help our families and friends not have so much heartache.