Better Choices

There are millions of drivers traversing the various highways and roads around the world. Some are driving to get to their homes, go to their jobs, or go out and do something fun with their friends and family. However, for some of those people, it will be their last time getting on the road. Even with the various safety features such as seatbelts, airbags, and collision detection systems, the number of people dying in car crashes is increasing every year. Because of this, it is important that driver education is taught to every driver and continued to be taught to even experienced drivers to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving.

The step that needs to be taken to reduce the number of deaths on the road is to make sure people uphold their personal responsibilities on the road by following traffic laws, being sober, and paying attention on the road. People need to do this not just because it’s the rules but to save themselves and those around them from the terrible demise of a car wreck. The amount of deaths due to drunk drivers and people not paying attention on the road due to distractions is staggering and 100% preventable. Many innocent lives have been taken on because of the carelessness of others on the road and even though there is law enforcement to keep people in check it’s up to the population as a whole to make the change of making our roads safer. Going to your destinations earlier than you usually would, so you don’t have to rush to get where you need to go, and ignoring that unimportant text your friend sent you are just some of the precautions you could take to potentially save your life and the lives of others while on the road. Even the most experienced of drivers are victims of automobile accidents and it’s often those who have the mindset of, “That could never happen to me”, and, “I didn’t start driving yesterday”, that prematurely meet their fate.

Thankfully, I have had the blessing of never being in any major car crashes in my lifetime. However, the thought goes through my mind every time I step into a car. These thoughts come especially when I ride with people who drive irresponsibly and in my experience those people have been my parents. My mom is usually the safest of my parents and my dad is more reckless. Speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, and being distracted by his phone while driving are all his driving characteristics. One day while driving home my dad was attempting to text and drive on his work phone. In the passenger seat, I can slowly see the car drifting out of the left lane and inching closer and closer to oncoming traffic. I then tell my dad, “It’s dangerous to be using your phone when driving”. Even though that is something he already knows he shrugs it off and replies, “I’ve learned how to text and drive. That’s a skill you haven’t mastered yet. Me working is the reason why you get to live so comfortably”. I then sat back in my seat and put my face in my hands knowing that nothing I said would be able to convince my dad to just drive safer. I stared out the window the rest of the way home hoping that he understood that those texts for his job could mean the difference between life and death.

The steps I can take to make sure I am a safer driver are making sure I’m paying attention on the road, wearing my seatbelt, and ignoring distractions such as my phone. I have heard numerous stories from my mom about the car crashes my family has been in and they’ve not been pretty; a story I heard from my mother was about a time my grandma’s eye popped out of her eye socket after being t-boned by somebody who ran the red light going through an intersection. She was on her way to church while pregnant with my Aunt Wanda. The way I can help other people make better decisions on the road is by spreading my knowledge on the dangers of driving and the consequences of taking that privilege for granted. Telling the stories of what I’ve seen just like my mom has done to me could allow me to make an impact on somebody else and persuade them to make better choices while behind the wheel. I would never be able to live with myself knowing I am the reason for the injury or death of an innocent life because of my driving. Because of that, I think twice about the risks I take getting on the road every day and decide to use my driver’s education to make the right choices.