Safety Over Anything: An Essay On Driver Safety

According to studies, every year, roughly 1.3 million people die in car accidents worldwide, which is an average of 3,287 deaths every day. Many fall victim to cars driven by uneducated and unaware drivers. Many drivers on the road do not think about the consequences of their actions and do not realize they are driving a giant, two-ton metal machine that is fatal at high speeds. New and experienced drivers must be informed about the rules of the road and must understand the severity of mistakes they can make. By doing an analysis of past statistics and the experience of many drivers, driver safety and education are crucial in order to protect lives, prevent accidents, and ensure a secure transportation system for communities.

Education on the rules of the road and driving are very important to maintain safety on the streets. Signaling is a crucial part of safety and driving. Many new and experienced drivers either forget to signal, do not know when to signal, or choose not to. Roundabouts are a fairly new addition to our road system, and many drivers who have been driving for several years are inexperienced or do not know how to drive and signal in them properly. Roundabouts have a 75-80% decrease in crashes compared to intersections, but they still have many accidents and close calls. Through driver’s education, I learned how to drive and signal properly through a roundabout, which allowed me to feel comfortable driving in them. There have been many instances where someone has cut me off or almost hit me since they didn’t yield to me and other cars. On the other end of this, some can’t signal properly. I’ve driven behind trucks that have signaled right and then exited through the second exit instead of the first. I believe education on road safety is important no matter the age or experience, and there’s always something new to learn. Being educated on the rules can greatly reduce the risk of accidents.

Many drivers on the road are eager to go places or aren’t in the right mindset to drive, which can increase your chance of getting into a crash. Being under the influence while driving is a large problem today. Alcohol is often linked with more aggressive behavior, especially on the road. Substance use of any kind can alter your reaction time or your awareness. Aggressive and drunk drivers tend to cause more accidents. In fact, nearly a third of traffic-related deaths in the states have been caused by drivers with higher blood alcohol levels. A friend of mine drives more often than not under the influence of marijuana, and she has rear-ended someone since she thought that they had moved further ahead. The use of substances slows reaction time, alters vision, decreases concentration, and reduces coordination. It’s much harder to judge your surroundings when you are not in the right mindset.

Anger, drowsiness, stress, and being rushed are all emotions many feel while driving. Feeling those emotions and being in those mindsets are very dangerous when it comes to driving. Being in a rush will cause one to be much more aggressive, turn without signaling, speed, and engage in other dangerous behaviors that can become fatal. Many times I’ve driven on country roads or less populated roads, and people have passed me while I was going the speed limit. I’ve been passed on a double solid when I was going 65 km/h on a road where the limit was 60 km/h. This driver almost hit oncoming traffic and would’ve caused a multi-car collision, with me included. Driving while tired or on low amounts of sleep can also be severely threatening. There have been many videos posted online of drivers who have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing a traffic jam, driving into a ditch, and multi-car collisions. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have said that driving while drowsy or sleepy can be just as serious as driving under the influence. The mental impairment of being awake for 18 hours is equivalent to a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.05%, and being awake for 24 hours is equivalent to a BAC of 0.10%, which is above the legal limit of 0.07%. Sleepiness or fatigue can cause impaired reaction time, judgment problems, vision problems, issues with information processing, difficulty with short-term memory, and aggressive driving behaviors. Road rage, distracted driving, and tiredness all affect your driving. You should always assess your state of mind before getting behind the wheel. Call in sick or late from work if needed, or leave your house earlier. Arriving alive or staying safe is always more important than being somewhere on time.

Driver safety and education are critical to maintaining the safety of everyone on the road, as shown by statistics over the years and many drivers’ experiences. Everyone who receives a license and gets behind the wheel should be properly educated on driving safety and the rules of the road. A proper and calm mental state is required to maintain the safety of those on the road. Always assess how you feel before driving and prioritize safety over anything else. By making changes to your driving and following the rules of the road, we can ensure that the road will be a safer place for everyone.