In the Driver’s Seat

In the Driver’s Seat

By: Nicole Pabstel

When growing up as a kid you always look forward to your 16th birthday. Getting your driving licenses is one of the first milestones you experience, so drivers ed is very important for everyone. Drivers ed is extremely important and in place to teach new drivers how to deal with situations that occur unexpectedly and to challenge what your instincts sometimes want to do. Before obtaining a license, it should be mandatory for everyone to have some form of training, which will help reduce the number of deaths we experience each year. When getting into a car to travel, it’s not just you on the road. As there are a lot of things happening around us (drivers, walkers, bikes), we need to be observant of our surroundings. Speeding, distractions and driving under the influence are all problems today that are too often ignored. I believe more action needs to be taken when these infractions are broken. Statistics in Canada indicate that roughly five out of 100,000 people die in a car accident every year. When these laws are broken, the consequences should be stronger.

I have seen many of my friends driving irresponsibly. Most drive too fast and some drive under the influence. This is the part that scares us all, as more people are driving irresponsibly which will result in losing them or worse they could change someone else’s life forever. While I have not personally been in a car accident, there have been a few in my area that I recognize and ask myself “who was it?, what happened?, are they okay?”. I’m happy to see that many of my friends have been making better choices.

To become a better and safer driver, the first and only step is to reduce all distraction when and where possible as too many exist today. I believe that I can be better by not following the poor examples of others. Not texting or checking texts is a big one for people these days, because everyone is so caught up in their phones. When driving, I turn my ringer off so I don’t get distracted. As most newer vehicles today have the ability to connect directly to your phone as well as the do not disturb function, everyone should be encouraged to use them. As my vehicle connects to a bluetooth, I use that if and when I need it. Also having my vehicle paired to my phone allows me to choose a playlist of songs I want to listen to while driving to keep me relaxed and focused on the road. All of these features help make driving much safer as it eliminates the need for the driver to take their hands off the steering wheel. Ultimately, everyone is much safer as the driver can fully focus on their driving and their surroundings.