Eyes on the Rules

In an age where driving is as common as walking, reckless driving has also became regular throughout all age ranges. This standardized issue endangers not just the driver, but other drivers and pedestrians. Even with courses that teach and remind people on the importance of safe driving, the reminders do not always last. Fortunately, there are procedures that can be implemented to avoid and minimize potential accidents and issues. Though the information taught in driver education courses are sometimes forgettable, its importance does not waiver regardless of whether or not people apply it to their driving. A driver education course provides you with the methods and routines to ensure that your driving is not a threat to yourself or anybody else on the road. For new drivers, you are started off with habits that you should implement in your own driving. As well as getting you better familiarized with traffic laws and traffic signs that will be consistent factors every time you get behind the wheel. A single individual that lacks the knowledge of what to do in emergency situations on the road can worsen the circumstances. With millions of injuries stemming from car related accidents occurring every year, the importance of driver education is emphasized.

During adolescence, people are more prone to being bolder and careless in activities such as driving. But a figure that has an effect of causing people to behave properly, from little kids to hardened criminals, are police officers. Positioning more officers on the road and in view of drivers can greatly discourage them from acting rashly. Stimulating drivers to drive according to the speed limit, keeping their seatbelts buckled, and maintaining a proper driving posture off of perilous distractions. Plenty of times on the road, there have been moments I felt brave or wanted to arrive at my destination faster. But seeing police vehicles, let alone the thought of flashing lights following me, quickly humbled me and kept me following traffic laws. Adding onto that, establishing higher amounts of traffic cameras and harsher penalties if caught breaking regulations can help minimize reckless behavior. Without consequences, a lot of individuals act too boldly and become a hazard to everyone. So while rules are important, repercussions are just as fundamental to ensuring those rules are remain respected.

The next solution that can be implemented amongst drivers is standardizing the use of public transportation. A lot of people usually end up with their eyes on their devices while they drive, whether it be out of boredom or urgent messages. The seemingly insignificant moment of diverting your gaze to your phone and off the road, could be all it takes to end a life. While I prefer driving my own car, I can vouch for the fact that shifting my focus to my phone would take a majority of my attentiveness. Normalizing the use of public transportation would allow a designated driver that could keep all their focus on driving the vehicle. Allowing passengers to freely remain on their devices without the threat of them causing their vehicle to end up in an accident.

Another cause of incautious driving is a lack of education on the potential incidents that can occur because of a quick text to a friend. It is the job of not just parents, but schools and the community as a whole to reinforce the dangers texting and driving can cause. Methods such as videos, commercials, and posters that contain statistical facts on the effects of distracted driving have a good chance of influencing drivers to think twice before picking up their devices. My first time on the road, I was tempted to check my phone after feeling a vibration coming from my pockets. But thinking back on the results that texting and driving can cause, it helped me choose the safer option and wait until I was not longer driving. Just knowing the hazards of being on your phone while driving is a solid start in preventing future complications.

The final method that can be enacted along with knowing the jeopardies distracted driving can cause is solidifying it as taboo. Practices such as driving drunk or without a seatbelt have been identified by a majority of the population as prohibited. If continued to be reinforced, the idea of being on a device while driving will eventually join the list and be frowned upon if ever performed. Even without the driving factor involved, the restrictions placed on alcohol throughout my life has made me unconsciously ban it from my life. Applying the same method onto individuals about their dangerous driving can allow their safety to be prioritized. To minimize distracted and reckless driving, everybody needs to accept and embrace these strategies. From experienced drivers to a teenager who just got their license, proper behavior on the road should always be maintained. If we work together to remind drivers and utilize our resources to enforce driving laws, we will be able to bring forth a safer mode of driving for ourselves and generations to come.