The Importance of Driving Safely

Driving is one of the most important/exciting times of a teenagers life. It’s something that they have looked forward to for many years. It’s a time where we think that we finally receive our freedom and get to go anywhere we’d like. Driving is fun but it’s also dangerous when you don’t follow the law. How many times have you almost been in a car accident? Or even saw one happen? It’s something so terrifying that sometimes we’re scared because we’re putting our lives at risk by simply driving everyday. You never know what can happen on the road. There are ways to prevent that from happening though.

Drivers education is in my opinion a very important and beneficial thing for young drivers just now learning the rules of the road but also to those who have driven for many years. Drivers education helps those learn what rules there are to driving. Not just using your blinker, which is something that many people don’t even do already, but also obeying speed limits, knowing what traffic signs mean, and also yielding to pedestrians. You can gain so much knowledge from driver’s education. Knowing more about driving benefits you because you can prevent accidents from occurring by following the law. The more knowledge everyone knows, the less deaths there will occur. I also believe that when learning how to drive with an instructor, you learn things that you should do and shouldn’t do. They are there to guide you and assist you with using your blinkers, knowing when to brake, switching to different lanes, using your mirrors, etc. These things may seem small but they can indeed help prevent accidents.

There are some steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths due to driving. One of the most important steps is driver education. Sure it may seem boring and useless because you may think it’s “common sense,” but there are things that you may just now be finding out that you didn’t know before. For example, some don’t know that you cannot cut through parking lots to avoid traffic control devices. So if you want to cut through a gas station just because you’re stuck at a red light, you might want to reconsider that. Another thing is even if you see someone doing something you know they shouldn’t be doing, don’t follow what they’re doing. Just because you see a super nice car speeding doesn’t mean that you need to speed also. It may seem “cool” but it is not cool putting others’ lives at risk. You can also let others know that they shouldn’t/should be doing certain things. If you’re with a friend and you see that they aren’t using their blinkers, let them know. This lets other drivers know they are trying to move in a certain direction. If you have a family member that likes to speed, try to get them to start following the speed limit for their own safety and others.

I personally have never been in a car accident. Some of my family members have and I’ve even witnessed car accidents before. I have also seen many people driving irresponsibly. I’ve had people close to me who drive pretty recklessly. They don’t use their blinkers, they speed a lot, use their phones, and have even driven under the influence. It can be pretty scary to be in the car with someone who doesn’t follow the law. There have been times where I’m in the car with someone and I’m worried about being there. They tend to drive pretty fast and not use their blinkers. They brake very late and almost hit the car in front of them many times. They tend to tailgate a lot and I catch myself holding onto the seat because of how badly they drive.

I consider myself a decent driver but I know that I can do better when it comes to driving on the road. I use my blinkers and my mirrors every time I drive. Some things I can start doing is putting my phone away from me. I can prevent myself from using it by putting it on do not disturb so that I don’t see any notifications and putting it away in the backseat for example. I can always keep in mind to leave space from the car in front of me so that I don’t get too close if they stop randomly or quickly. I can also help spread awareness and help others. If I see a family member or friend using their phone I can let them know that they shouldn’t be doing that for our safety.

In conclusion, driving is essential in our lives but we also have to be careful about the way we drive. Every day in the world there is an accident that occurs on the road. We can prevent accidents from occurring if we take these small steps every time we drive and be mindful of others. We share the road, we shouldn’t be against each other nor having road rage and getting upset at others. We’re all just trying to get to our destination so it’s best if we gain more knowledge and be safer on the roads.