Being Neighborly Includes Driving Safely

25 miles per hour is the speed limit in my neighborhood, just like any other neighborhood. However, my house is the first house seen when driving into the area of my neighborhood; it faces the street and is closest to the next biggest intersection. I’m no stranger to hearing loud rumbles from speeding cars with enhanced muffler systems on a simple Sunday evening. As I unwind for the night, my house is a witness to the sirens of fire trucks racing down, urgently tending to an emergency five blocks away. Occasionally, when I’m properly tucked in and have set down my phone for the night to catch some sleep, I can recall hearing chaotic commotions of illegal street takeovers that happen in the city of Anaheim. Yet this time, it’s happening a few streets over, close enough to hear and interrupt the late hours of the night. With screeches from cars doing “donuts” and cheering from spectators, it is soon followed by the wails of a police siren to break up the takeover. The cars then scatter, with some come flying down my street and into my neighborhood to evade the authorities.

In order to obtain a driver’s license, qualified individuals go through a general process, though it can vary from state to state. Depending on the age, most states require minors, ages ranging from 15-18 years, to apply for a learner’s permit in order to take the written test regarding traffic signs and road signs in their state. A vision test is also required. A learner’s permit allows for the individual to drive under supervision of a licensed adult under certain restrictions and a minimum amount of driving hours. The learner’s permit phase coupled with driver’s education allows for the new driver to learn how to operate a vehicle hands-on and to educate on road safety for themselves and their community. Individuals can then apply for a driver’s license for either a provisional or full license. With the knowledge and experiences they’ve garnered, driver’s license applicants can apply their skills and take the behind-the-wheel test with an examiner.

Driver’s education plays a crucial role in keeping our community and streets safe. With knowledge being power, being educated on road safety helps to reduce vehicular accidents and deaths. In fact, a study conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2015 reported that of the 150,000 drivers they surveyed over a decade long project, those who took driver education had a less likely chance of being in an accident while those who did not finish the courses had a 24% more chance of being involved in severe or even fatal accidents. In addition, driver courses allow new drivers to practice good judgment, defensive driving skills, and common sense on the streets.

I’ve always been a cautious driver, especially living in an area where street racing is common, and car accidents are frequent since my house faces a 3 way street. In highschool, I took an online driver’s ed course to satisfy the requirement as a 16 year old attempting to get my license. I eventually passed and got my official driver’s license not too long after. A few years later, I recall driving to an area near an elementary school. I noted the 25 miles per hour speed limit enforced when children are present. It was early morning; a crossing guard was directing elementary students and their parents to school, morning mist was in the air, and school buses were dropping off additional students. As I passed by the school and continued on my way, I could make out red flashing lights on a vehicle. Nearing 20 feet away, I realized that it was a school bus that had its overhead red lights on and an extended stop sign to indicate oncoming traffic that the bus was intending to pick up students at a bus stop. I slowed down, but the cars in front of me seemed to speed up to pass the bus, ignoring the warning signs completely. At the same time, a police car on patrol and parked near the bus suddenly turned on its siren and flashing lights, pulling over the driver that attempted to pass the bus. I later learned that it would be a few hundred dollars fine depending if it’s a first or second time offense in California. Instances like this don’t happen often, in my experience, but I’m grateful that I was able to recall driving laws and safety that I’ve learned a few years ago. Steps I take are influenced by caution and the regard of others’ safety: I stay informed on traffic laws and any changes, I avoid distracted driving, and I practice defensive driving.

Any driver must take into account the significant steps needed in order to reduce the number of accidents that come with operating a vehicle. A responsible perspective is necessary; that means putting safety first for everyone in and around the driver’s vehicle. This includes paying attention to the road, avoiding impaired driving, and practicing defensive driving. Even licensed drivers that have taken driver education can become reckless and dangerous, partly due to impaired judgment, distracted driving, or a lack of consequences that have corrected their reckless driving. Defensive driving is anticipating the actions of other drivers and being equipped to react defensively to potential hazards.

Choosing the correct speed is a rule taught in drivers ed, but in the hustle and bustle of everyday life sometimes the temptation to exceed the speed limit lingers as an unseemingly harmless act. Of course, keeping with the flow of the traffic is a reasonable choice as long as it doesn’t endanger others by going too fast or going too slow. However, the truth remains undeniable; driving above the designated speed limit is a perilous choice that not only jeopardizes the safety of the individual behind the wheel but also poses a significant threat to everyone sharing the road. In America, speeding made up 29% of traffic fatalities in 2021, as recounted by the National Safety Council (NSC) analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data. In addition, the total number of vehicular accidents that year caused by speeding resulted in 11,057 crashes.

In 2017, I had a stray cat that lived in my neighborhood that was well loved by many; we had dubbed him the name “OJ” for his burnt orange color as a tabby cat. He would sleep in flower pots and wander up to our front doors, meowing for pets and belly rubs. OJ was a frequent friend in our neighborhood who was smart enough to cross streets and climb up on walls to say hello. However, one day, he stopped coming. I’d call out for his name and shake a jar of treats that would always have him come running. No OJ. The next day, I found out through a neighbor that they found OJ’s body in the middle of the road. He had been run over by a speeding car through the neighborhood and left to succumb to his injuries. My neighbor took him to the emergency vet, but there was not much they could do. I was completely heartbroken to find out that such a sweet, innocent creature could be a victim to reckless driving.

Becoming a better and safer driver is coupled with personal responsibility, consideration of others, and being educated which can be helped driver education in order to reduce traffic accidents and reckless driving. However, it is a shared effort as we diligently strive to practice defensive driving, obeying traffic laws, and minimizing distractions. With these steps, I hope we can make the streets safe for us and our feline friends, too.