Road Love, not Rage

Driving is an everyday activity that is almost second nature for a good majority of the population. This can potentially leave room for a false sense of security and can cause distracted drivers to put their guard down. Educated drivers are constantly aware of the fact that they are in control of heavy machinery capable of accelerating to dangerous speed. Drivers Ed allows for an understanding of responsibility and respect for the road that maintains a safe environment for all drivers.

I live in Las Vegas and the north side and downtown can have some not so educated drivers. Downtown and the Arts District remind me of Los Angeles though, the streets are narrow, there are a handful of one ways and there’s more center turn lanes than anywhere else in town. My second time downtown I was leaving to go home and had to go down a one way street, a car turned from the left onto the street and nearly caused a collision. The guy had the nerve to honk and stick his head out the window. My frustration turned into anger and I screamed at him that it was one way. He gave me the bird, maneuvered around my car and the ones behind mine, his tire was practically on the sidewalk, then he turned down another street. After I calmed down and stopped hoping I had shouted obscenities at that person, I realized it’s just not worth it to put myself in harm’s way and potentially get shot. I’m not a fighter, I’m a lover. Except for when people come to a full stop at this roundabout by my house, like go, it says yield not stop guys.

My dad is an angry driver. I’ve been in the car with him twice where he’s pulled over to fight someone. The first instance you would have thought he learned his lesson after having to get staples in his head but this proved untrue. He did it again in a Carl’s Jr parking lot after being cut off. He can be a little heavy on the gas pedal too. My father learned to drive in Los Angeles, maybe he’s enjoying driving without having to brake every few seconds, but that doesn’t excuse his joyrides. Speeding kills, in 2021 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that nearly one third of traffic deaths are related to speeding. Data found that of 60,904 drivers involved in 39,508 fatal traffic accidents, 10,963 of drivers were speeding at the time of collision (2, Par 4). My father is not an uneducated driver, I just think he’s an impatient one. He’s told me to not take after him because of his years of experience..yada,yada. This is also why drivers ed has helped me, you learn from a professional.

As a young driver, proper drivers ed has allowed me to take precautions when I drive, that are now like second nature to me. For example, on multiple occasions I’ve had cars speed in front of me on my green. I always take a second to look both ways for oncoming traffic during my right of way. Ways we can prevent traffic related deaths include advocating drivers ed for young drivers, inexperienced drivers, and those who could polish up their skills. Another way we can prevent fatal traffic accidents is by bringing awareness to statistics. In our modern world vehicular related death is at an all time high, bringing awareness to the facts including preventative measures leads to a potential safe driving environment. Drive sober, order a rideshare service or designate a DD. If you have a terrible day at work or receive upsetting news, take a minute to unwind and process before getting on the road. Now that you’re driving, focus. Turn your music down from obnoxiously loud so you can hear your surroundings. Keep your eyes peeled! Most drivers ed courses say to look about 12-15 seconds at the traffic ahead. Make sure to keep a minimum following distance of 3 seconds, as suggested by The National Safety Council. These are all steps and preventative measures that will allow you to become a well rounded driver, capable of providing a safe driving environment.

There is always room for improvement. As a young driver there is still so much that can be learned through experience. Everyday, I try to drive safer than the next. I hydroplaned on a puddle once and was scarred for life, I vowed to never go over the speed limit. It was an unrealistic expectation but I do not exceed five over. Ways I can keep myself and passengers safe while driving are by concentrating on the road, not engaging with hostile drivers and road rage, eliminating distractions and driving at appropriate speeds.