Safe and Sound Driving

Driving is a one form of transportation that people use every day to get from point A to point B. When driving, it is important to not only drive safely for yourself but for others around you as well. It is proven with statistics, that an average of 6 million car accidents happen per year. And with this fact, everyday more than 90 people die in these accidents. Having driver education is a necessity when being out on the road.

Usually, when obtaining your license to drive, you are given the supplemental knowledge on how to drive safe and follow the rules of the road. With this, you can educate yourself with the tools provided and take tests to obtain the license. One of the first things I learned when I started the process of learning how to drive is to wear a seatbelt. Statistics show that 1 in 7 people while driving do not wear a seatbelt. Nowadays, cars will even beep when you do not wear a seatbelt, as a warning or reminder. Driver education is important because you learn what to do and what not to do ahead of time, rather than learning while you drive. It plays a huge role in reducing the number of deaths due to driving. In my opinion, the information given to drivers help ease the anxiety of going into the unknown. It gives you insight into how driving is and helps with having awareness of your surroundings and situations.

There are several steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths in relation to driving. One step that can be taken is to wear your seat belt. It is proven that seat belts do reduce the risk of serious injuries and death by almost half when accidents occur. A second step would be to eliminate distractions. Distractions can be anything that take away your attention when driving. Some distractions can be phones, eating, loud music or even trying to use a navigation system. In some newer cars, I’ve noticed that when driving some features of the car are unavailable until you park the car. And lastly, making sure that you know the vehicle that you are in well enough. Meaning, know where the hazard lights, turn signals, and windshield wipers are located for example.

I have been a passenger to a car accident, but never while I am driving. Ultimately, it all comes down to paying careful attention to your surroundings. As I mentioned earlier, when I started driving, I was instructed to drive for myself and others. Sometimes, you can be paying attention and an accident happens out of nowhere. I’ve seen many accidents involving minor and major damages. When seeing car accidents, I always hope that those in the accident are ok. Because driving can be dangerous, especially if death is involved.

For family and friends, I have seen irresponsible driving. Most of it is the use of cell phones or trying to navigate where they are going. In these situations, I tend to remind them to pay attention and if need be, to pull over. I will often find myself asking if they want me to handle what they are trying to do, just to be safe. One thing I have been a witness of is drunk driving, this is such a dangerous thing. For example, my grandmother’s house has been ran into twice by drunk drivers. Knowing your limit and choosing to not drive under the influence is essential to the safety of you and other people.

The steps I can take to be a better and safer driver can be eliminating more distractions. Distractions like having my phone sitting on my lap, trying to answer phone calls, or even trying to do something while driving. For this reason, I can have my phone out of sight, answering calls while parked and pull over if I need to do something important. Pulling over while driving to handle things is an option. Another thing I can do is to practice patience when driving. Sometimes I become frustrated due to how others drive, whether its someone almost causing an accident or how fast or slow they are going. With this, I can take a deep breath and relax. And understand that things may happen while driving but having the patience to drive is important. Road rage is real, so in any situation it is important to remain calm and get to where you are going in one piece. When helping others become safer on the road, I can offer help if they need it, by eliminating any distractions that may occur. I can even be their second set of eyes on the road and warn about anything occurring around us.