The Highway to Safe Driving

When it comes to driving, many of us do it everyday. Sometimes, the process may seem automatic. Getting in the car, starting up the car, then pressing the gas and brakes, occasionally, before reaching your destination. But a lot of drivers, especially newer drivers, often forget the important details and facts that are pertinent to driving. Some people believe that being a good driver simply means “not getting hit.” However, there are many good drivers who still end up in very dangerous accidents. Likely because of the other driver they collided with? Perhaps so. And which brings to mind a very important tip and key to informing drivers about the overall risk and importance of being a safe driver: you are driving for others on the road as well. People call this defensive driving, because in all seriousness, you are defending yourself from the possible bad drivers that are sharing the road with you. Whether they are speeding, being distracted, or just an inexperienced driver, we must understand that our safety depends well on how we are cautious of others. Personally, I have not been in a car accident because I keep key safety concerns in mind. However lucky I am, I give credit to being educated in driving, as I have been a part of driving class before. My mom was very proactive with me, for she has been in multiple car accidents before, so she wanted me to embrace the idea of how risky and serious driving is. I was actually the quickest person in my driving school to have a passing grade. So, it was obvious I took learning very seriously. On the other hand, many other young drivers need to take driving seriously as myself. Driving education is important in reducing the number of deaths because I think that it reiterates the message that driving is a privilege, not a right. And with this message, of course, there will be uneducated drivers who will try to take advantage of this privilege. They may violate traffic laws when no one is looking; or be a serious driving threat to others around them. So as driving education highlights extreme caution when driving, it should reduce the number of deaths as people are now more cautious and alert of surroundings. They also will be engaged with the risks of driving, and understand that certain actions are not worth it. Flooring the pedal to beat a red light? Not worth it. Going 15 miles over the speed limit to reach your destination quicker? Not worth it. And is losing your life by a careless mistake worth it? Not at all. And as drivers quickly understand that driving is serious, which I can not reinforce enough, they should begin creating safe driving habits. There are plenty of steps that drivers can begin taking to reduce driving related deaths. Eliminating distractions is a priority. According to NHTSA, in 2022 there were about 300,000 injuries involving a distracted driver. So, what are some distractions? The most common ones: eating, texting, and talking to passengers. These are all preventable, however, these are the causes of so many deaths and injuries per year. This is why driving education is important; education saves lives. Building reputable driving habits will reduce driving accidents. Which means things like turning your phone on silent, or saving the snack you had in your car for later. These are called distractions for a reason and they are not good for driving at all. Another important measure to take is understanding what defensive driving is. Defensive driving, in my words, means to see every car as a possible obstacle. Other drivers on the road are unpredictable; we do not know their intentions. Being safe and alert is the best way to deal with uncertainty. Since driving is also reaction-based, a part of how we drive depends on others. For example, if a driver chooses to jump in our lane, last second, to exit off the highway, we can either brake the pedal or bump into that driver, because we know they are at fault. But the truth to driving is to reduce as many accidents as possible. Even if other drivers are at fault, we still do not want to add a possibility for injury, or death. Drive like you love life, is what I will say. Make it back home safe to your families. Do not distract yourself and do not think driving is both easy said and done. There are a lot of driving regulations, but they are meant to keep you safe. Most importantly, you must understand to keep yourself safe. Being a defensive driver, and knowing that driving is a very serious matter, are steps above all to insure that you are a very long-lasting driver on the road.