Safer Roads: Education, Reducing Distractions, and Responsible Driving

I was set to turn left out of a neighborhood onto a major roadway. I had my turn signal on, was sitting in the left turn lane, and was watching for a clearing in the traffic. Finally, the roadway was clear. I started to pull out onto the road, and a car came flying around the left side of me to turn right onto the road. This car fled the scene but was later found at a residence in the neighborhood. I don’t think my dad would’ve believed what happened if he wouldn’t have been with me in the car! There are three things that can reduce the number of collisions and deaths on the road. The first is education. Drivers ed helps people to be aware of the rules of the road as well as the devastating statistics brought to us from the roads. Learning the consequences for poor driving and learning the correct way to drive safely will help to keep everyone on the road safe. The second thing that can reduce deaths on the road is eliminating distractions for ourselves and others. There are so many things that can distract us while we are driving: our phones, food, passengers, and so many other things! As a driver, we can reduce the amount of distractions while we are driving by keeping our phones and other distractions out of reach. As a passenger, we can encourage the driver to be distraction free and not become a distraction as we ride in the car. The last thing that we can do to make the roads safer is to not drive if we know that we are impaired in some way. Whether we have had a few too many drinks or too few hours of sleep, driving in these situations could become fatal to us or others on the road. Having the courtesy for ourselves and other to not drive when we are not in the condition to drive is important in order to keep ourselves and others safe while on the road. Encouraging others to take driving seriously is paramount in keeping everyone safe. Teaching others the importance of driving distraction free is a way for us to show love to ourselves and others.