The New Car Smell

Breath
In and sniff. You know what I’m talking about…that new car smell.
Everyone craves it, saves their hard earn money for it, and gets
overjoyed owning it. That feeling of joy and ownership means diddly
if a driver has the wrong attitude, insufficient knowledge of the
road, and riding on an interfere infrastructure that hinders good
driving. So, how can we get young drivers to feel powerful and
resilient having that license without a screaming parent thinking
about their $45,000 car getting damaged because the new driver ran a
stop sign on a back road near a cornfield. A drivers ed
class and having good highway infrastructure can reduce accidents and
fatalities on our roadways.

First
a new driver has to practice, practice, practice. Getting behind the
wheel for the first time is overwhelming especially with a screaming
parent that has been driving for over 30 years. Learning takes many
forms and drivers ed course is a starting point to a safer
roadway with young adults. Drivers ed teaches the meaning of
traffic laws, road signs, and road markers to avoid accidents; but
more importantly teaches maneuvering, merging, and controlling speed.
These basic driving techniques avoid collisions. The course teaches
how to show appropriate driving behaviors and how to have the right
attitude that will mold good habits for years after.

Your
attitude and behavior can reduce fender-benders. Having the right
attitude and driving behavior can diminish road rage. A good rule to
follow is leaving earlier so you will arrive on time. Another is to
leave your anger outside, if you had a bad day at work, avoid using
driving as the scapegoat, get yourself in control before getting
behind the wheel. No tailgating, if the vehicle is braking
incisively, or is slowing and speeding erratically, change lanes and
maintain your comfortable speed; maybe that driver has a screaming
baby in the back seat, or has ants crawling up their leg, don’t let
other drivers dictate your attitude or your driving behavior. Another
step that can reduce accidents or fatalities is to contact
authorities to improve our road’s infrastructure. Uneven surfaces,
rough or milled driving lanes, or faded and unreadable signs cause a
driver to tighten their grip of the wheel and make bad driving
decisions. These obstructions are obstacles that can be avoid with
the right up to date infrastructure.

I
am a good driver, and yet to experience being in a vehicle accident
but have a close friend that was hit by a distracted driver and
hearing through his words the impact, feeling of helplessness, and
the distress in his voice while explaining the details of his
accident will resonate with me for a while.

How can I help others get to that new car
smell, well, be an excellent example. Inspire my friends to take a
drivers ed course because driving is a privilege and is to be
taking seriously and understanding that my driving behavior can
affect other lives.