Becoming a Better Driver

Wow! When I read the introduction to this essay I was shocked at how many people are killed in automobile accidents every year. Comparing auto accident deaths to the amount of soldiers we have lost in recent wars was eye opening. I never would have thought that driving a car would be more dangerous than going to war. I took Drivers Ed at my high school and learned many things but that was a statistic that was not mentioned.

One thing that has always helped me be a safe driver is my parents constantly talking to me about how dangerous driving is. My dad told me a story about how his next door neighbor was killed in a car accident when she was in high school. She had just been accepted at the University of Virginia and was doing some charity work in the Dominican Republic when her life was suddenly cut short. I think that story really scared me but I’m glad I heard it because it makes me be more aware of what I’m doing when I’m driving.

I know that speeding tends to be one of the major reasons why accidents happen so I do not speed. My parents told me that they would pay my insurance but that if I ever got a ticket or in an accident that I would have to pay the increase in the insurance. Me being a high school student means I don’t have much money because I can only work a few days a month and the last thing I want to do with my money is spend it on insurance and from what my parents have told me insurance for teenagers is really expensive. They told me that when I got my license that our auto insurance went up over a hundred dollars a month. I know that driving is a privilege and that if I do something dumb I will lose that privilege.

Another thing I learned in Drivers Ed is that texting in driving is extremely dangerous. I understand that looking at my phone while driving is something that I should not do and I don’t do it. In my neighborhood the Loudoun County sheriffs office will but out electronic signs that say things like “don’t text and drive.” Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol is another extremely dangerous thing to do when driving. I myself don’t do those things but there is the possibility that another driver could be.

I think that education and reinforcement of safety are really important to making people safer drivers but to me the fear of something bad happening has had a big effect on me and my driving. As soon as I got my license my dad made me watch this video on Youtube called Red Asphalt. This was one of the hardest things I have ever watched but I definitely think it attributes to me being a safe driver. It really scared me to see some of these real accidents and the aftermath.

Luckily, I have not been in a car accident but I have been with friends and have seen them driving unsafely. I tell them how dangerous driving can be and tell them that I am uncomfortable riding with them. If I’m in a car with someone who’s driving recklessly or in an unsafe way that is typically the one and only time I ride with them. I know that I don’t really have any control over what they do so I would rather not put myself in that situation and I will drive myself.

I think the steps to becoming a better driver start with education and then from there you need to put that in to practice on the road. I always try to drive defensively and pay attention to what is going on around me. You need to approach every situation with the idea that the other people on the road may not do the right thing. I think that practice is a good thing too. I know that when I first started driving I was not very good at it but my dad would take me out and teach me the rules of the road. He has been driving for a long time, has a lot of experience and I trust him to teach me the right way. Education is another key to becoming a better driver. I think that seeing statistics about driving and relating them to other activities is a good way to teach. I think the number one thing about becoming a safe driver is having consequences to your actions. As I said before, one of my biggest fears is if I were to get a ticket or get in an accident I would have to pay my insurance. That may not be the worst thing that could happen to me while driving but if I drive carefully and don’t get tickets it is a good start to becoming a safe driver.