What Can Make the Roads Safer

Safe driving is a connection between life and death. Being attentive and focused is what keeps everyone alive on the road. Driver education is extremely important when teaching new drivers before they enter on the road. Driver education teaches new drivers the laws of the road, how to read traffic signs, and how to operate a vehicle. Distractions and interferences such as technology and even the weather can encumber one’s concentration and lead to disastrous effects. It is necessary for drivers to understand the strategies they can use to decrease these dangerous factors. Even a few seconds of distracted driving can lead to loss of life. Humans are only mortal.

Parents are normally afraid to educate their children. As a result, parents send their children to driver’s ed to learn everything there. In my personal experience, my parents were occupied all day with their jobs and there was not always a car that was readily available until later in the day. My first time behind the wheel was in my second week of driver’s education. I drove around in circles in the parking lot because learning to drive was very scary and intimidating. I already knew how dangerous being behind the wheel was.

I was in a car accident recently. It was my fault. I was lucky and only the paint on both cars was scratched. This situation could have been a lot worse but we were fortunate. It was the cause of my deficiency in sleep, unhealthy eating habits, and carelessness. Taking care of one’s health is very important when being behind the wheel. Driving drowsy is the same as driving drunk as in they are both extremely dangerous, our inhibitions are altered and distorted, and it can result in the harm of oneself and others. I have lived through this as well. I was fortunate that there were no cars on the road since it was late at night. I had to turn the volume of my music very loud so that I could stay awake. This was dangerous. To resolve this issue, I could have planned to leave the event earlier or stay the night, if it was possible. It is forever safer to have a plan when driving at night is included.

When getting behind the wheel, you must be ready and know the risks that someone else and you can cause. Too many people believe they are invincible, just like I did. There have been times that I have been saved from an accident. Those near-misses added to what I thought was my indestructibility. In reality, it was the other car using methods that they had learned through experience and defense driving. These cars were able to get out of the way of my reckless driving.

Driver education is extremely important because it teaches new drivers the laws of the road and what to do in the case of haphazard factors. Knowing the laws of the road prepares the driver for when they encounter a situation that is not merely driving down a street. Knowing the meanings of the signs on the side of the road and the meanings behind the lines on the roads is what will lessen accidents. These laws and signs are meant to withhold irresponsible and impulsive driving since everyone on the road must follow them. The road also has random and disorganized factors that can impede or hinder one’s safe driving, such as the weather. Whether there is rain or if it is exceedingly sunny, the driver needs to know what correct implements and the actions to choose to overcome it. An example is how when the sun is shining very bright, the driver can pull down their sun visor and drive slower if they need to. If there is fog, the driver must know to turn on the low-beam headlights and not the high-beam headlights.

Driver education also shows the new driver how to control a vehicle which is arguably the most significant thing taught in driver’s ed. I had never managed a car before driver’s education and my teacher was the one who taught me. The driver must be comfortable with the car they are choosing to drive before they truly get on the road. Not knowing how the vehicle will react or how sensitive the brake or gas pedals are can lead to an accident in itself, because one cannot decipher how much pressure the pedals need. The driver can accidentally add too much pressure to the brake, which can stop the car abruptly, and cause the automobile behind to crash into the car in front. If the driver does not add enough pressure to the brake, they can crash into the car in front of them. Both collisions are equipped to escalate if the accident happens on a busy road and if the road it happened on has a high-speed limit. There is a possibility that the other vehicles will not have time to stop safely. Practicing driving a car in a safe area, such as a driveway, will help disable this problem just by knowing the sensitivity of the brake and gas pedals. I personally do this every time I have to drive a vehicle that is not personally mine.

There are many steps and tips people, including me, can take to become better and safer drivers. People should not be multi-tasking on the road. Once drivers start operating the vehicle, the phone needs to be set down and must not be collected until the car is in park. It is essential that all drivers have their navigation set up if they are using one, by the time they put the car into drive. Eating while driving is also dangerous and can distract the driver from the road. Wearing a seatbelt will minimize the risk of hurting oneself for unplanned brake usage such as if an animal decides to cross a busy street. The seatbelt will restrain one from hurtling forward. If all drivers know the meanings behind traffic signs and agree to follow them, it will decrease most of the confusion on the road. These traffic signs provide clear, uniform, and consistent signals for all drivers. Driving the speed limit will reduce street fatalities. If a driver is exceeding the speed limit by a great deal, it is easier for the driver to lose control over the heavy machinery. This creates collisions that could have been easily avoided. Caring for one’s health when driving is overlooked but important as well. If the driver is sick with a headache and is not in the mindset of being attentive, their reactions become delayed and, in turn, become more impulsive. Not driving under the influence of any drug will also keep from reckless driving for the same reason; delayed responses.

Car maintenance should be a priority for all drivers. Assuring that all parts of the vehicle are working as they were meant to can save people from collisions as well. My first car was not able to make sharp right turns. I was always afraid that I would damage another car that was in the lane opposite of me when turning right. I later learned that my steering wheel was not aligned which also wore out my tires quicker. Maintaining cars can also make driving easier since the driver will not have to make adjustments for the vehicle.

In conclusion, driver education is imperative to the safety of all drivers because it teaches potential drivers how to operate a car and informs them of the laws and the traffic signs on the road. When driving on the road, the best thing to do is to only be concentrating on the road and not have distractions to divert your eyes or your attention. Taking care of one’s health is also necessary so that one’s reaction times are not hindered.