Staying Safe in and Around the Drivers Seat

In our world today, teens experience freedom for the first time when they begin driving. Having your license can become a new outlet for fun, excitement, and more, but it also comes with one of the greatest responsibilities; keeping yourself and others on the road safe. Unfortunately, to date, one of the leading causes of death across America is a result of unsafe driving. It is sad, but it is often an avoidable outcome. The way in which these deaths and accidents are avoidable is for drivers to understand and pay attention to driver education. Most young drivers see driver education as an annoyance, but what you learn in classes will be expected of you for the rest of your driving life. Not only do you learn about the rules of the road, speed limits, signage, and how to actually use your car, but you are also taught safety and safety precautions. When drivers on the road actually know how to drive safely and responsibly, there are lowered chances of any accidents. The skills, focus, and control taught in driver education are crucial because without them, your car can easily be turned into a weapon. Driving safely is the only way to drive, putting not only yourself outside of harm’s way, but also keeping all others on the road safe as well.

In a different way, steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving include having to retake the road portion of the drivers test every few years and passing more laws that enforce the rules of the road and in connection fines/penalties for disobeying them. For the first step, having drivers retake the road test portion more often forces drivers to know the rules of the road, or else they will lose their license. As it is today, once people get their license, they quickly forget all the different factors of driving, including signage and construction zone laws, causing many issues. If we must be more accountable for knowing this information at all times, chances are we will be more cautious about and respectful towards driving safely. In addition, advocating for more road safety laws is a great step to strive towards a safer environment for all. In individual towns, states, and regions, the roads can become safer if more people take a stand and voice their concern. In my own area, since the start of going back to work from Covid-19, speeding has become an extremely dangerous subject, as many drivers have decided that driving 20-50 miles over the speed limit is okay. Even though there are times that officers are around, most times these reckless drivers continue on their way, putting all on the road in danger. If more laws were passed and fines/penalties were to be increased, these drivers would have to think twice before zipping down the highway at more than 100 miles per hour. In other areas, other issues could be nipped in the bud before they get out of control, and thus reducing the number of accidents leading to deaths related to driving.

In a new light, I have personally experienced being the victim of a reckless driver. In this accident, no one in the car was badly injured, but the car was damaged and emotional fear was expressed. One morning, on the way to a lacrosse tournament, my family and I were driving down the highway, and all of a sudden we had to come to a halt. 2 people were crossing the highway, back and forth, causing all cars to have to stop completely. It is driving etiquette and safety that says all cars should be following at least a car’s length away from another car, as to be able to react in time in case of a sudden stop. When we came to this haunting stop, the car behind us slammed into us, and the car behind them slammed into them. From the impact on the car and its damage, the car behind us was clearly following far too close, no further away than about a foot. This is so dangerous because, although we did not know why cars ahead were coming to a complete stop, it is still all drivers duty to stay a safe distance away to protect all other drivers and passengers. Their lack of basic safety precautions caused their own car to be totaled, and to but many lives at risk, all because they chose to be glued to the end of our car.

In a final way, steps that I can take to be a better and safer driver as well as help those around me do the same include always having a designated driver, keeping driver distractions to a minimum, and only going into vehicles with trustworthy and experienced driving. Typically, when thinking about the term designated driver, the idea usually refers to one person who will not be under the influence to be the driver, but it can mean much more in different circumstances. If a friend or family member is sleepy, forgot their glasses, or any other situation that could affect their driving, they should not be behind the wheel. If anyone sees this, they should encourage their loved ones not to drive, and find a different way home, to keep everyone safe. Similarly, when being in a car, passengers must respect the focus needed to drive, and not be overly loud, fool around with the car, or take the driver’s attention off the road. The driver too must also not reach for a cell phone or make any other plans while driving. If a call is so important or a fallen object must be obtained, the driver should know to pull over, or wait until their destination is reached. If any passenger sees the driver’s attention averted, they should always encourage focus and not appeal to distractions. In one other light, passengers should always know the person that is driving the car they will be riding in. Making sure the driver has been experienced enough in their designated state is crucial because the more experience they have, the safer they should be driving. On top of this, if anyone does not know the driver, no one should enter the vehicle because there is no way of knowing if they are fit or legally able to drive. Keeping oneself and one’s loved ones accountable, focused, and safe saves lives, and builds up drivers who know how be safe on the road and who want others to do the same.