Perspective of a Safe Driver

Ever since I can remember understanding the concept of driving my mom has always highlighted the importance of safe driving and how it is my responsibility to take care of myself, the people I am driving, and others on the road. To be a safe driver is to be a non-distracted driver, an educated driver, and an aware driver. By taking on the task of driving I have learned that you cannot rely on what you think other drivers might be doing. Self-awareness alongside awareness of your surroundings is a key role in driving safely as it benefits your reaction time when you are paying attention to your situation. Being aware of other drivers’ actions has helped me personally evade countless accidents and kept myself, family, and friends safe.

Knowing and understanding the laws of driving are sadly not something you can expect of all drivers. Being able to tell what the lines on the road mean or a sign on the side of the road can help keep you and others safe in any situation. For example, if a driver misinterprets the lines on the road and passes in a no passing zone that has limited sight available it could lead to a fatal crash. In my own experience I prefer not to pass other vehicles since if I misjudged by the slightest, I could put both myself and another person’s life in danger. No amount of impatience from being behind a slow driver is worth my life or anyone else’s.

During January of this year, I experienced my first car accident. I was on the way to get lunch with some of my friends and I was in the passenger seat of my best friend’s car. We were stopped at a red light with a friend from out of town following us. All the sudden we were hit from behind while we were waiting at the light. There was nothing I could relate this experience to at the time, and both me and my friend were in disbelief at what happened. After getting out of the car to see the damage and check on our other friend we found out that she had been looking at directions on her phone. She did not look up in time to see that she was going to ram into us. This experience significantly affected my viewpoint on driving and how important it is to pay attention. It also had a massive impact on my thought process while driving. For a few months I vividly remember checking my rearview mirror way too often worrying about if the car behind me was going to stop. I was scared to start driving again even though I was not the one driving in the accident I was a part of. But that proves that it does not take a lot to instill fear after a traumatic experience. I eventually fell out of this habit, and not having to worry about that anymore has made me feel more comfortable while driving. However, something I experience while being a passenger in other people’s cars is having the feeling that we are not going to stop. I feel myself trying to push on the imaginary brake at the bottom of the passenger side of the car. This is something I do not remember doing before the accident, so I believe that that has led to part of the outcome.

There are many things I can think of when it comes to making sure that I am the best and safest driver I can be and that also helps other people on the road. One of the first things I think of when wanting to make sure you are safe and letting other people know what you are doing is to use your turn signals. Although it is not always best to trust a blinker it can give you an idea of what another driver might be doing. Another thing that comes to mind is make sure to make complete stops especially at four way stops. This is important because if you are watching it gives a clear indication to who is next to go through the intersection. This is extremely important in any circumstance, but it is personally important to me because I have been close to being involved in numerous wrecks due to four way stops. There is a four-way stop by my neighborhood, and most drivers roll up to the stop sign, and it does not make it clear whose turn it is. The final thing I would say is important to secure safety is to watch other drivers. You can never trust that a car will not blow through a red light and hit you while you have a green light. Checking before crossing an intersection can be the difference between life and death. It is also extremely important to watch for areas that other cars should be yielding to before driving onto a road because there is a chance, they are not paying attention.