The Dos, Don’ts, and Dangers of Driving

Driving may be a symbol of freedom, letting anyone go anywhere at any time, but there are many dangers that can lead to injuries or even death if the drivers are not completely careful and alert. There are thousands of deaths that occur each and every year due to poor decisions made while driving, such as driving while drunk, drugged, tired, distracted, and even more factors that cannot all be possibly listed off in a set amount of time. As for myself, I have always been a very safe driver, keeping in mind not only my safety but also the safety of the other people around me. This is due to my education and the steps that I take before and after getting in my car, and it is very important that other people follow these rules as well to lessen car accidents everywhere.

The very first step that everybody needs to take when wanting to drive is learning how to. Without driver’s education, it would be extremely dangerous to go out onto any roads and make it to your destination without an accident. Driver’s education teaches the importance of the rules of the road, knowing how and when to do certain things. This reduces the chances of these people getting in a car accident by a substantial amount, as they will at least know what they are doing before they are behind the wheel. Without taking driver’s education, no one would know how to drive and follow the rules of the road properly, and this would lead to even just walking being safer than driving. Taking driver’s education not only increases the safety of people in cars, but pedestrians as well. It is common knowledge amongst drivers that the pedestrian always has the right of way, but what if that wasn’t known to all drivers? Simply walking on a crosswalk would be very dangerous for people who are not driving, as the drivers would probably not know that they are supposed to stop and let them cross before continuing to move.

Something that is very common amongst drivers is car accidents. I see one practically every week when driving anywhere, such as the store, school, to a friend’s house, etc. Of course, the severity of car accidents vary depending on the situation, but all of them are nonetheless dangerous and could harm or even kill anyone involved. I have even been in one myself, and although it wasn’t life threatening, it was still a horrible experience and even made me scared of driving for a while. My dad and I were driving together to run some errands one Saturday when I was in the eighth grade, and we hit a red light. We were not even stopped for ten seconds when a car about twice as big as my dad’s had rammed into us at full speed. It lunged us completely forward because of the impact, and we did not really process what was happening until a few seconds later. I never really knew what happened, but my dad assumed that the driver that hit us was probably texting and driving and did not realize how close he was to us. It did not leave any long-lasting effects on either of us, but it was still scary enough to have me afraid of driving for a few years.

There are many things that people can do to be better drivers on the road, and I feel as though even the best driver in the world can still improve to reduce chances of a car accident. As for me personally, although I drive very safely, there are still a few areas that I could brush up on. For one, not having my music up as loud as I normally have it. I drive with music wherever I go, and although I don’t play it that loud, it could still be a distraction to what is around me or make me not hear something like a car honk or someone yelling on the road. I could also tell this to my friends or family, who normally like to have their music blasting out their windows, barely being able to hear anything.

Being a safe driver is the number one most important thing to do when driving so as to not harm yourself or others. Car accidents are much too common nowadays, so taking an extra few seconds to think about what you are doing is crucial whenever you are driving anywhere.