Preparing for the Unexpected

Preparation
for the Unexpected

A
lot of drivers are unprepared for the worst when they are driving.
They assume that as long as they are good, responsible drivers,
nothing will happen to them. This is a very dangerous attitude to
have, because other drivers and conditions are unpredictable. There
are car crashes every day that result in casualties because of
distracted driving and poor decision making. 

For
example, my mom was hit by an RTD bus because it turned left
into her when it was not in the turn lane. The driver explained later
that the turn lane was icy, and he didn’t want his bus to slide in
it. My mom was driving well, and following the laws of traffic, but
that was not enough to prevent the accident. She has always told me
that I need to be a defensive driver, meaning that I never trust the
other drivers surrounding me to make safe decisions, and her
situation exemplifies that. Drivers need to be focused on the road,
because even the smallest of mistakes can result in massive damage.
Drivers also need to prepare themselves for all conditions. It is
essential that people know what to do if their car begins to slide on
ice, or how to be safe when there is low visibility. Even though we
all covered these subjects in driver’s ED, we should go over them
occasionally to ensure that we know what decisions should be made in
an emergency. We don’t know when these accidents might happen, but
when they do we should work to be as ready as possible for them. A
safe driver is aware of not only their position on the road, but also
of their surroundings. A good driver needs to be prepared for
everything, because there will always be other drivers on the road
that are not.