Driver Education Initiative – In the Driver’s Seat

Christopher
Daniel Salazar

Allan
Hancock College

24
September 2019

In
the Driver’s Seat

With
so many people on the roads these days with the availability of
obtaining a license at the age of sixteen, after taking driver’s
education and obtaining a provisional license, it’s no wonder how
many people are getting into accidents. With 40,000 people dying in
car crashes in 2018 alone, education for incoming and current drivers
is essential for lowering this number.

With
education on subjects such as, but not limited to, extreme weather
conditions, road rage, and condition of the driver on the road, this
brings forth information to people about how these factors should be
prepared against in order to avoid these situations the best they
possibly can. A suggestion from me would be to have driver’s
education in more schools since a lot of them don’t offer this
class at all. With the proper guidance, it has been statistically
proven that the number of car accidents has been declining with this
education since 2018 saw a one percent decrease in people dying in
car crashes compared to 2017. Education is key to a safer driving
population.

With
the information that people learn about driving, there are important
steps that are known as common sense to everyone. Here are some rules
that people abide by before going on the road:

• Avoid
  alcohol before taking the wheel.

• For
  motorcycles, wear a helmet at all times while driving.

• Avoid
  driving over the speed limit to keep it safe for other drivers and
  to abide by the law.

• Do
  not drive tired.

• Give
  your vehicle constant maintenance to ensure a working vehicle to
  minimize the risk of it breaking down.

• Leave
  your phone away from yourself and do not text under any
  circumstances. If you have to call someone, if the state allows, use
  a hands-free phone to answer the call.

• Allow
  someone else to drive if you’re under the influence of medications
  that impair your ability to react quick or concentrate on the road.

• Never
  concentrate on anything besides the road for too long.

• Take
  breaks at rest stops if you are driving long distances to let your
  senses have a rest.

These
rules make up the majority of the reasons why people get into
accidents by not following them.

When
it comes to personal experience, I had an uncle that ended up dying
from a motorcycle accident. He was driving through a residential area
that was notorious for having a lot of speed bumps to slow down cars
going through the streets. He went between the spaces where the bumps
didn’t cover and proceeded to keep speeding. Unfortunately for him,
a truck was going perpendicular to him at an intersection at the same
time. He was able to swerve around the truck but lost control of the
motorcycle, being thrown off it by the force of the swerve. He wasn’t
wearing a helmet and his head slammed into the concrete curb of the
street, gashing his head and giving him a lethal head injury. I
believe he died at the hospital from a shattered skull and blood
loss. He seemed like such a nice person and I had only seen him a few
months before the accident, so it saddens me that his family had to
deal with the sudden loss of his life.

So
I can learn from his mistakes and so many others, I always put on my
seat belt and make sure to take in my surroundings all the time to
avoid any surprises. I sometimes drink a coffee to wake myself up
even more before I drive so I know that I’m attentive and aware. I
service my car frequently to keep it running smoothly and without
problems that could come back to haunt me on the road. Lastly, I
don’t use any substances so my driving experience and life in
general is not impaired in the slightest. To conclude, I believe
everyone should always be careful on the road and make sure to take
any precautions they need to take to have a good driving experience.
If everyone were to follow these directions exactly, theoretically
almost none of the accidents that have happened throughout time would
not have occurred. Drive safely, and be responsible.