The Importance of Safe Driving

The Importance of Safe Driving

What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, one might ask. Many people have either lost their own lives or caused someone else to lose their life because of their unsafe driving. There are several ways to reduce the number of deaths related to driving such as not driving under the influence, avoiding distractions whether it be your phone, music, or a passenger, and last but not least, obeying all the traffic laws.

A lot of teens lose their lives or get seriously injured due to a vehicle collision. “Car crashes are the #1 killer of teens, causing 33% of all teen deaths,”. A lot of teens get in car accidents because they are either listening to music or they’re using their phones while driving. I’m a teenager myself and people my age constantly drive while blasting music, which causes you to not be able to hear your surroundings. Texting while driving is also a common cause of many accidents. A lot of people think that they could multi-task, but in reality their full attention isn’t on the road. In driving you must pay close attention to the road, because all it takes is one second for an accident to happen, taking the life of an individual.

Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol or other drugs, to a level that renders the driver incapable of operating a motor vehicle safely. Any amount of alcohol in your system can affect your driving abilities. The effects of alcohol abuse put you at risk for causing an accident. Safe driving requires the ability to concentrate, make good judgements and quickly react to situations. If you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol your body doesn’t react to things as quickly as it should. A lot of times when someone is driving under the influence causes an accident, they are usually the ones who make it out alive, while those in the other vehicle have lost their lives. Driving under the influence can rip away the lives of innocent people. If someone is intoxicated with any drug or alcohol they should not get behind the wheel. They either need to call someone responsible to get them, or stay where they are until they are sober.

Obeying traffic laws is a key component in driving. It is very common for people to disobey the basic laws such as driving within the speed limit or driving with a seat belt on. Streets and roads without traffic lights are where people tend to speed the most because there is nothing keeping them from getting to where they’re going. Speeding while driving makes it harder to make a sudden stop in case you need to get out of the way of another vehicle. That alone can cause an accident and because the car was speeding that causes a very strong impact which can lead to death or serious injuries. There are way too many accidents where individuals were ejected out of their vehicles because they didn’t have on a seat belt. Seat belts save lives, they reduce the risk of death by 45%, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%. Seat belts save thousands of lives each year, and an increasing usage of them would save thousands more.

Too many lives are lost every day due to car accidents. If you see someone under the influence do not let them get behind the wheel, take their keys if you have to. Do not have any distractions in your vehicle while you are driving. If you are a passenger in a car do not allow the driver to be distracted whether it’s by you or someone or something else. Obey all traffic laws, wear your seat belts and encourage others to do the same. Help save your life and the lives of others!