“Why Safe Driving is Worth Advocating For”

The importance of driver education is often overlooked. Drivers’ education is vital in making sure the number of deaths on the road is reduced. During my time taking my driver’s education course, I learned how important it is to be cautious of your surroundings on the road and to never be distracted. Drivers’ education taught me that even just sending one text while driving can change your life forever, or even cut it short. In this class, the instructor put on a video that included a girl driving her friends around and them talking about a party that was to happen later that night. The girl driving wanted to text her other friends to see if they were coming because her friends wanted to know, and before you know it, she swerved and crashed her car, killing not only herself but her friends as well. This video impacted me greatly and I have vowed to never pick up my phone while driving, as I was shown that a text can wait. Your life is more important than responding to a text.

Multiple steps can be taken in order to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. One step that can be taken is to advocate and educate people about the importance of safe driving. Safe driving includes staying focused, driving cautiously, obeying road signs, and driving within the speed limit. I also learned in drivers’ education that you should never drive even after having just one drink. I learned that just one drink can be enough to cause accidents, even if you don’t feel the effects of the drink. Making sure that a friend or a loved one has a safe ride home after drinking is a great step in reducing the number of deaths related to driving. It’s very important to look after those you care and love for. Another step in reducing the number of deaths related to driving would be to emphasize to others the fact that sleep is crucial to wellbeing, as well as to operating a vehicle. Fatigue and tiredness are one of the main causes of car accidents. Feeling drowsy while driving can be very dangerous. I’ve always been told that if you cannot stay awake while driving and are feeling drowsy that it’s best to pull over in a safe spot or a rest stop and take a quick rest.

Being 18 years old, I’ve experienced that many of my friends drive irresponsibility, and most of them don’t understand the true risks of speeding and tend to tailgate more than other drivers. One of my close friends, Caroline, was heading to work one day at her summer job at one of our county’s local country clubs. She was approaching a sharp curve and going about 20 miles over the speed limit. Before she knew it, her car flipped 180 degrees and she just missed hitting a tree. Her car was then totaled. The idea of losing a friend for irresponsible driving is something I would never want to experience. Thankfully she had no major injuries and was back up on her feet immediately, and hopefully she learned the impact of speeding and what it can result in.

In order to be a better driver myself, I could take steps in becoming a more patient driver. My commute to college is around 30 minutes, and when I find myself with the possibility of being late, I tend to become a little impatient with other drivers around me. I can fully prevent this by making sure I leave my house on time to decrease the risk of being late for school and also to ensure safety on the road. I will continue to forever vow to never text and drive, as the effects of doing so can be traumatic and life-altering. When I’m in the car with my friends or my family, I’m not afraid to be a “backseat driver” when they participate in unsafe driving conditions. If I see them texting someone, I always ask them if they want me to write their texts for them, so that they can focus on the road. If they are consistently speeding, I make sure they know the speed limit and voice my discomfort with how fast they might be driving. I’d rather be the annoying friend that criticizes my friends driving, than be a victim of a brutal car accident. I care a lot about my friends and family enough to inform them when their driving is unsafe.