Name: Nicolas Santamaria
From: Los Angeles, California
Votes: 0
Wishing you Safe Journeys: A Guide to Road Safety
Unlike the people in vehicles with seatbelts, and airbags, the average person won’t have any level of protection whenever they’re on the road. Therefore, the lives and safety of both pedestrians and bicyclists are in the hands of the driver. It’s important that drivers learn and practice safe driving habits in order to minimize the number of deaths caused by driving, whether it’s wearing seatbelts, obeying traffic laws or paying attention to your surroundings.
Wearing seat belts can be a simple and effective way of ensuring the safety of both the driver and the passengers while on the road. It would ensure that the people within the vehicle are secure within it as being unbuckled will likely result in the passengers being ejected. Wearing the lap belt and shoulder harness will maximize the chance of survival. Failure to properly wear a seatbelt will increase the risk of injury or even death in a collision. An article published by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states: “Seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives and could have saved an additional 2,549 people if they had been wearing seat belts, in 2017 alone.” Airbags are not suitable substitutes as you could be thrown right into them which will result in injury or even death. Safety measures such as airbags are meant to work in conjunction with seatbelts, they are not meant to replace them.
Traffic laws also play a part in promoting driver safety as they deter people from committing reckless or harmful actions. These laws are created by state legislatures and enforced by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). They have many resources available regarding traffic laws. The “California Driver’s Handbook” and Governors Highway Safety Association are few of the resources that can help beginner drivers to stay responsible on the road. Taking advantage of these public resources will help in knowing what habits to learn and not learn.
Distracted driving only creates risk for those on the road. Distracted driving can be defined as “any activity that diverts attention from driving” (NHTSA). This massively increases the risk of accidents, injuries and even death. It can range from messing with the navigation system, eating, drinking, or talking to friends. However, the biggest offender of distracted driving is the cell phone with texting being the primary concern. The NHTSA states it best by saying: “Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.”
As technology advances cars will begin to be equipped with safety measures to ensure the safety of the people inside but that does not mean they are substitutes for bad habits. Even with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) it is imperative that drivers learn how to navigate the road as technology may respond differently than humans would but that does not guarantee anybody’s safety.
Even though government agencies like the DMV try to encourage safety habits it is also up to the people to speak up and promote these habits. Teens can talk to and influence their peers to not drive while distracted. Parents can lead by example by talking to their kids and emphasizing the importance of distracted driving. Educators can also play a part in promoting safe driving habits as they can reinforce the importance of practicing and committing to road safety. Reinforcing these habits in not just the new generation but the older ones too can help minimize the accidents caused by distracted driving.
Even though I or any of my friends or family have not been in an accident I am perfectly aware of my responsibilities as a driver. I am aware that practicing good driving habits like paying attention to my surroundings or obeying the law will not only benefit me but the people around me as well. I have also been practicing with a mentor to ensure that he will correct my bad habits. Even when no one is looking, I will commit to these habits in theory and in practice to create a safer road to share with others.
Wearing seatbelts, obeying traffic laws and paying attention to our surroundings are a few of the many safety habits that can prevent us from getting into an accident on the road. Even with assistance from the government and human technology we as drivers should be accountable for our education because we are responsible not just for ourselves, but we are also responsible for the people around us.
Works Cited:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
