Traumatic Education

Traumatic Education

Being suddenly awaken in the middle of the night is never fun, but it’s worse when the reason is because your older brother was involved in a car accident, injuring his friend in the back seat and sadly killing his friend in the passenger seat. Due to being under the influence of alcohol, he had to suffer the unfortunate consequences that occurred. As someone who doesn’t show much emotion, it pained me to see him so traumatized, leading me to make sure I was safe when I began driving.

Many people believe they know how to drive simply because they can move a car, but when it comes down to it, driving is a combination of physical and mental capability. Understanding the fundamentals of driving a vehicle on the road is the first and most important step in staying safe. Also, understanding that it is not only yourself that is on the road, as well as applying basic driving skills (turn signals, use of mirrors and shoulder checks, etc.) are important in keeping everyone around you safe. Knowledge is one of the strongest assets a person can have, and without it there is bound to be mishaps that could cause serious repercussions.

There have been many discussions between my father and me about people who are given licenses but seem to have little knowledge of driving properly on roads. This could be due to the layout of the driver’s test which involves parking and driving for a few minutes on the road. Although somebody may pass these tests, it is not always a clear indication of how someone may drive on their own. A possible solution would be to make the driver’s test a little more rigorous. This could include a longer time on the road test, and possibly a more randomized route to take during the test since people who have taken the test before would be able to show the exact route taken and practice constantly on those roads instead of other roads. Also, a retake of the knowledge test after a certain amount of years should be necessary to insure people are up to date with any new laws, as well as making sure people are still understanding the rules of the road after several years of driving.

In order to be a better and safer driver, I build several habits while driving. I always use my turn signals even if there is nobody in sight and I make sure my phone is on Do Not Disturb in order to prevent the temptation of looking at my phone when there is a notification. Using my mirrors and keeping my distance from cars is also a habit that I apply in order to keep myself and the drivers around me safe as well. Making sure you are educated and knowledgeable while driving is imperative to keeping people safe and reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving.