Stay Safe in the Driver’s Seat

Driving responsibly cannot only save your life, but it can save the lives of thousands of other people. According to the CDC, two million people a year are injured in car accidents. With a few simple steps that all drivers can take, this number can drastically be reduced. There many steps that one can take to reduce the number of death related to driving such as, drive strategically. Avoid situations that could force you to suddenly use your brakes. If a driver is following you too closely or is not paying attention, you might be rear-ended.

Another strategy is to keep your distance. Drive far enough behind the car in front of you so you can stop safely. This is especially true in inclement weather. Stay at least three seconds behind the vehicle ahead of you, and longer if you’re in a heavier vehicle. Extend the timing when weather conditions are bad.

Also don’t get distracted. Never take your eyes off the road to eat, read a text message or find your phone. If the driver ahead of you stops suddenly, it only takes a second or less of not paying attention to rear-end their vehicle.

In addition, Don’t drive when drowsy or under the influence. You are more likely to make driving errors when you are sleepy or impaired by drugs or alcohol. Always pay attention. Just because you are the only person on the road does not mean it’s okay to text, make hands-on phone calls or eat while driving. You never know when conditions might change. And do not drive too fast. Speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities for more than two decades. Simply put, speeding is dangerous, even if there is no one else around you.

I have been in two accidents. One accident I was in was when I was parked, and a woman backed into me because she did not see me and even when I blew my horn she kept backing up. Another accident experienced was my fault and I did not realize it until after the fact. It was a timing issue; I was turning left going East and car was traveling Southbound, and I tried to anticipate my ability to turn with the car traveling Southbound to turn and while making a left the car traveling hit my back bumper. The driver was not paying attention, and although I was though I was clear the driver stated that she looked down for a moment and when she looked up it was too late. I realized I should have been more patient and wait until traffic was clear. What I also learned from this experience is that driving is much more than getting behind the wheel of a car and recalling what you studied in your driver’s education class. Like most things in life experience if often times your best teacher. It takes times to become an experienced driver. Being able to experience driving in all type of weather conditions, various terrains, unexpected circumstances, various road conditions, etc. Overtime the more I drive the more driving awareness I have with my surroundings the better my driving instinct will help me to become a better driver.

I have also witnessed tragic accidents and have been fatal and while I may not have known the cause of the accident. I realized that we trust strangers everyday when we are on the road. Trusting that they will follow the rules of the road. But everyone is not going to think like you or be as careful when driving as you so you must be even more cautious when driving because even the safest driver can be in accident that’s not your fault. And that can be scary because I can see how being in accident can make one leery about driving period.

As I noted before I think the steps, I can take to be a better driver is to be more of a defensive driver. Learning to have patience is key, in the short time that I have been driving I noticed that so many drivers do illegal things when driving from what I have learned in class. Adapting bad driving behaviors such as making unauthorized U-turns. Doing rolling stops at stop signs. Not using your turn signal or using it at the last minute when drivers behind are approaching you rapidly. Sometimes being more courtesy to enraged drivers that drive sporadic to simply get out of their way.