Driving is Dangerous

Driving is Dangerous

By Candice Bruinsma

There was this man… older man. He was on a bike. A fast bike. Maybe a little too fast. One second is all it took for him to be nowhere in sight, and the next he’s dragging under the truck… As fast as you read those two sentences, is about how fast the course of events took place, maybe even faster. One may say that there was no way to prevent a scenario such as this, another may blame the driver. This is a true story of two responsible drivers, one being a close relative, who had “an accident”. One was left dead. Driving is no joke.

Americans really underestimate the importance of driving educated. That scenario may have been a sincere accident, but many others are preventable. There are no secret steps to ensuring you never get in an accident. There are however, courses, laws, signs, and precautions one can take to prevent a horrific scenario from happening.

Driving habits start from a very young age, as young as 15 years old (legally). If not corrected early, they can leave an impression that turns into a future bad habit. This chain of events does not end well for some. This is why it’s important to educate early on to prevent bad habits later. Many high schools offer Behind the Wheel courses or other driving courses that can assist in creating smart future habits. If these courses were used more regularly, they could prevent accidents in the future, as well as the deaths of those involved.

Speed limits are often ignored. These limits are treated more like “generalities.” This causes speeding tickets and many times accidents. If Americans would respect the laws given and obtain more patience, these laws would be common sense. This ideology is also something instilled at a young age from watching how other adults drive. This respect should also be applied to the stop sign. On a couple occasions I did not take my time at the stop sign. This resulted in horns blaring and hearts racing. Others don’t get so lucky; some get no luck at all. A quick glimpse could have cost me a huge dent in my car and a few thousand dollars, or possibly my life.

I don’t think I ever realized the importance of these precautions and was this aware until after typing it all out. From here on I will be more patient when I drive. A life is way more important than what time I get to my destination. I’m going to be a good example by respecting the speed limit and paying more attention to stop signs. Whenever I ride with my friends, I’ll make sure to keep them in check by reminding them of what’s at stake. Driving is no joke.