Knowledge is Power

As a current student driver, I have realized how important it is to be an educated driver. Driver’s education is the most significant resource to prevent driving-related deaths. It takes a lot to learn and become familiar with all the laws and regulations of the road, thus making driver’s education mandatory for drivers under 17.5 years of age. Upon completing driver’s education, new drivers can safely set out on the road with vital knowledge and awareness to ensure their own safety as well as others. It also teaches drivers responsibility and skills to avoid dangerous situations while out on the road. Drivers are responsible for remembering and following the rules that keep people safe while driving. It is important that they also have skills such as defensive driving and the ability to make decisions quickly to avoid accidents.

Various steps can be taken to reduce the number of driving-related deaths, including the limiting of distractions. Today, one of the most common distractions while driving is cell phone use. People spend a substantial portion of their day on their phones; however, we must learn to put our phones down and keep our eyes on the road to remain safe. Another distraction that could cause an accident is loud music. Many people listen to music while driving, however, it is essential to be able to hear while driving. Your sense of hearing is important while driving because you must be aware of things such as emergency vehicles. Another step that can be taken to reduce deaths, which is not considered as often, is the ability to control one’s emotions. When people are angry, upset, or sad, it usually affects how they act. It may cause people to get frustrated quickly and perform unsafe actions. Something else that can affect your driving is exhaustion. Being tired while driving lowers your senses, reaction time, and awareness, causing you to make irrational decisions. Finally, the biggest step that can be taken to reduce deaths is to avoid driving under the influence. Just like exhaustion, drugs or alcohol drastically affects your awareness and perception on the road, which may lead to dangerous situations.

I personally have experienced an accident as a passenger in the car about 2 years ago. My mom was driving me to school on a very cold winter morning. We slowly approached a stop sign and came to a complete stop. Suddenly, our car jerked forward, and we realized the car behind us had run straight into us. We exited the car and saw that the vehicle that had rear-ended us had a completely frosted windshield. There was no way to see clearly through it. It is also illegal to drive with a frosted windshield. This is a prime example of irresponsible driving, showing how unsafe it is to drive with little to no visibility.

A step I am taking to become a better and safer driver, as well as helping to keep others safe, is to pay better attention to my surroundings. Beginner drivers like me tend to forget to check their surroundings when performing actions such as switching lanes or turning, thus limiting defensive-driving skills. Another step I can take is to make sure I stay within the speed limit. Sometimes it is tempting to go over the speed limit when there are few cars out on the road or when you are in a rush, but the limit is in place for a reason. The faster you are going, the longer it takes to slow down and the harder it is to react quickly. That is also why the speed limit varies based on the area; roads in busier areas have a lower speed limit, while roads in areas with less traffic have a higher speed limit. Finally, another step I will be taking to become a safer driver is to avoid playing music too loudly. It is quite common for people of my age group to listen to music at a high volume; however, it is very unsafe. Spatial awareness also depends on your hearing and if you cannot hear your surroundings, it can lead to a dangerous situation. I love music and listen to it all day, but it is important that I stay disciplined as a driver, to protect myself and others.

Driving is a big part of our everyday lives, but if we do not take the proper precautions, driving can become extremely dangerous. It all starts with driver’s education and having knowledge of all the rules and skills needed to keep ourselves and others safe on the road.