Benefits of Being a Courteous Driver

   Driving Safe

     With cars becoming more and more of a necessity for people, the increase in traffic accidents and unsafe driving can be seen on any day. The hustle-and-bustle of today’s society is very prevalent on roadways. Busy highways, four way stops and yielding can all promote problems to the inexperienced driver. Due to lack of interest, many teens and new drivers aren’t learning as much from Drivers Ed as they should. Some are also reluctant to drive or unmotivated. Others simply have no regard for others on the road. However, a safe driver is always a courteous driver. By making driving decisions not only for the driver’s own safety and convenience, but for others, the driver is more aware of other people’s actions as well as their own. This makes it easier for the driver to execute moves throughout traffic by anticipating other driver’s decisions. 

      Another possible way to minimize traffic mishaps would be to use more roundabouts as opposed to four-way stops, as these are statistically shown to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities by as much as 75%, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Also reported was a 90% decrease in traffic fatalities and a 40% reduction in pedestrian collisions. Traditional four-way stops can pose a danger if a driver is unaware of their surroundings. Blind corners, yielding and right of ways can all be issues for any driver at a stop light. With traffic circles, all cars in the circle go in the same direction, which is another factor that can greatly reduce accidents when using them.

      The downside with traffic circles however, is that they are not usable everywhere, and hard to navigate when busy for some drivers, but the use of roundabouts where applicable could make a big difference in traffic fatalities. While this is not a feasible solution for all applications, roundabouts would be most beneficial in areas with lots of crossroads, such as in cities and suburban populated areas.

       Another big problem drivers face in this age is the use of cell phones while driving. Each year over 330,000 accidents caused by cell phone use occur. Of those, 30% are in the age group of new drivers. Many newer cars are equipped to allow the driver to make a call or send a text without the use of a phone, only the driver’s voice. This allows the driver to maintain focus on the road, as well as to not be tempted to look at the phone while driving. These features however, usually aren’t equipped on every car, so for some, this isn’t an option. While hands-free devices can be helpful if necessary, they still pose a distraction to the driver. With many different accommodation settings and controls in modern cars, these can either be helpful in limiting distracted driving or part of the problem. 

      Driving is a privilege, not a right, and by taking it seriously and sharing the road we can help eliminate this problem that costs thousands of lives per year. Distracted driving should still be avoided at all costs, in order to be both a safe and courteous driver on the roads.