Driving is Fun, Until it Isn’t

Many people around the world drive on a daily basis; however, most of them probably aren’t thinking about what could go wrong, they are only thinking about getting to their destination. For many people driving is fun due to the fact that it gives them a sense of freedom because they can go anywhere they’d like. In reality driving can be very dangerous and it is something that needs to be taken seriously.

Driving is a privilege not a right and something I think that people forget. There are many important things that people can do to become a good driver but one of the most important things to me is attending drivers education. The importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving is that it gives people information about driving that they otherwise wouldn’t have known. Personally speaking when I was in drivers education I learned about the different probabilities of survival in certain situations, and it was gut wrenching on how low some of the probabilities were. It also gives people the chance to learn about things to do if they find themselves in unsafe driving conditions. Some steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is by starting to be more aware of what is going on around you. At any point of time something could go wrong and if you aren’t paying attention to what is around you, you might not be able to get out of that dangerous situation. Finally, people could have someone to hold them accountable and look when they are driving. What I mean by this is that they need to have someone who is the designated driver, or to have a person that they can text when they make it to places, or if the weather conditions are bad their designated person could advise them to not get out in that certain weather. I also think that another step that should be required by every state and every person of all ages so that everyone can be aware of the dangers of driving.

I have had both an experience of being in a car accident and I have seen people driving irresponsibly. To start off with the time that I had been in an accident was when I was a relatively new driver, I was driving my fathers truck. We were out in the country and we were at a two way stop, when I stopped I looked both ways and I didn’t see anyone coming I proceeded to go straight. Just as I started moving forward this gray car came speeding through the stop and hit me. It wasn’t a bad accident, everyone was okay but with me being a new driver I was pretty shaken up and scared for a while after the accident. After that I was scared to drive for a while as anyone would be; furthermore, I have become a better driver because I learned to be extra careful when I’m driving even if I think everythings okay. Next, there have been a few times when I have been in the car when the driver was being irresponsible. For instance there were times when we would go eat out with my father and he would have had some alcohol; then, had to drive us home. My sister and I were too young to drive so there wasn’t anything that we could do. If we were to say anything to our father he would get mad at us so we had to stay quiet. I was annoyed that my father would drive with alcohol in his system and because of that I started staying home more whenever my father went out to eat. Another time when I was in the car with an irresponsible driver was when I was going somewhere with my boyfriend and his father, his father was the one driving. While his father was driving he was on his phone pretty much the whole time and he was swerving all over the road. I remember holding onto my seatbelt and my boyfriend the whole time while I was in the car because I was scared. After we got back to his house I got out of the car and pulled my boyfriend aside and I told him that I was not comfortable being in the car while his dad was driving and that I wouldn’t go anywhere with them if his father was driving.

Some steps that I can take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road is for one speaking up when they are doing something that they shouldn’t be doing. I need to start holding people I know accountable for their irresponsible actions. If I know someone who is a new driver and has anxiety I can help them by telling them what I know and how to be a better safe driver. Whenever I get in the car and before I drive somewhere no matter who I’m with or where I’m going I always make sure that I am buckled up. I can also make sure that I am doing what I’m supposed to be doing while driving in hopes that people will follow my example and do the right things while on the road. There are many things that myself and others can take to make driving safer; it’s up to the driver if they want to be safe or not.

Some people may never be impacted by reckless, unsafe driving and some people will be impacted by reckless, unsafe driving. My uncle was going to work one day when a bus decided to run a stop sign and hit my uncle. His truck was then wrapped around a telephone pole causing my family to lose one of the best. When something like that happens to a family it makes driving seem very scary and I was hesitant to start driving. I was young when my uncle died so that left me with one memory of him its really important to me that people are safe when they are driving.