Becoming a Better Driver Starts with YOU!

Drivers’ education is a vital part in becoming a defensive driver. Learning to become a defensive driver is crucial to minimizing deaths on the road and reducing any possible accidents that can occur. This means that you are always thinking safety first, always being prepared and predicting any outcomes in any possible situation, being fully aware of your surroundings on the road even when others may not be, cutting out distractions, keeping a safe distance with vehicles all around you, and following all road signs and safety procedures when driving. Although we cannot stop all accidents from occurring, we can help to reduce the numbers significantly. When people are better informed it helps to reduce car accidents, possible deaths or injuries, civilian accidents, and it all-around makes the roads safer. This is why it is crucial for people to know road signs, state and county laws, different hypothetical situations, have thorough practice with being on the road, and keeping in mind that we shouldn’t take things for granted when driving.

We are in a society where things are constantly moving and happening at a fast pace. In order for us to make strides for a safer driving environment in this constantly moving society, we must take accountability for our part on the road, and we must implement better habits while driving. This includes cutting out all distractions and safety hazards. For example, going on your phone or messing with the car radio while actively driving makes you a huge risk, not only to yourself, but to others on the road. No matter how good of a driver you may think you are or no matter how much experience driving you have, no one can safely drive while on these devices because your focus is now on the device instead of the road. Taking your attention away from the road even for one second can be the matter of life or death. If you need to go on any device, do it before you start or after you are driving. If you urgently need to go on your device, you should find somewhere to pull over, so that you reduce all risk on the road. Another distraction includes road rage. You should avoid driving if you are angry, sad, or even experiencing anxiety. If your feeling emotional before going to drive take a minute to gather all your emotions and to calm yourself down. Doing this helps to clear your mind and it helps to reduce any irrational decisions you make while on the road. Other types of road rage you should avoid is drinking and driving or driving with substance abuse because it can impair your ability to drive. It leaves you less concentrated and focused, you have a slower reaction time, and depending on what you took or how much you took it can lead to you having blurry vision, hallucinations, or it can lead you to experience black outs. All of these things higher your chances of getting in an accident which is not beneficial or safe for all parties involved and it has sometimes costed people their lives. If you know you are going to drink plan accordingly and find another mode of transportation to get you home or have a friend that you trust and know is not going to drink drive, you home. You can even call your cities non-emergency number to see if they are not busy to give you a ride home. Additionally, you can avoid safety hazards like car accidents, construction sites, weather, etcetera, if you plan your route ahead of time and you should always leave with enough time to spare, so that you’re not rushing or racing on the road to get to your destination.

I have seen a couple accidents and a couple possible near accidents. The root of these accidents and near accidents seem to come from people not being fully aware of their surroundings. For instance, one day I was walking on the street and a guy was parked on the corner of the street. The light had turned green, so the cars were going and the guy that was parked started to pull out of the spot he was in without looking to see if there were any cars coming, as he did not have the right of way. The guy almost crashed into one of the oncoming cars, but luckily the car that had the right away had a fast reaction time and moved over a bit and honked, so that the driver would be made aware. This is why it is important to scan your surroundings before making a decision. You should always be three steps ahead of anything that can possibly occur while you’re driving. Like a soccer game, you want to always anticipate the moves of others and you always want to be ready to make any necessary moves in any type of situation when needed.

As a new driver on the road there is still so much for me to learn, but with everything it takes practice and willingness to learn and grow. I try to practice safe driving, instilling good habits into my everyday driving. I do slip up sometimes with certain things like hugging one side of the lane and sometimes not being fully aware of my surroundings, but I do try to acknowledge these things and correct them, so that in the future I don’t make the same mistakes. Acknowledging your faults and having an open mind to learn from different situations is a huge part of becoming a better and safer driver. Without that you will constantly be making mistakes, putting others on the road in jeopardy. Also being able to take constructive criticism from people who have been driving longer than you is really important. Learning from people in driving school instructors is a huge asset for you because you are able to apply that advice to your driving. These are skills that I think everyone should adopt because it is the foundation of becoming a better driver.