In the Driver’s Seat

Driver’s education is essential for all drivers because of the way it educates them on how to stay alert on the road, the rules that are expected of the drivers, and how to act in certain situations and/or emergencies. All drivers should be required to complete driver’s education, which would lower the amount of accidents, injuries, and fatalities they cause. Drivers can learn how to avoid dangerous situations by enrolling in this type of education. They can also learn how to use defensive driving techniques, pay close attention to the road and avoid getting distracted, as well as paying attention to the conditions of various roadways, be aware of the weather, as that sometimes may have an effect on their vehicle and their driving, but most importantly, know and feel comfortable in the vehicle they are in. Recently, there has been a rise in the incidence of car-related deaths as a result of various modifications made to cars to make them appear “faster” or “louder”.

There are many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths due to driving. The first step is to, simply, pay attention. Young adults, specifically those becoming new drivers this year, tend to not take that piece of advice seriously. Most young adults, and even those who are slightly older, have the tendency to respond to messages or check social media while driving, which is the main cause of many accidents in our world today. Even though checking your phone at any point behind the wheel is not allowed, it is safer to do so when stopped at a red light, but only for a few seconds, or until the light turns green, as to not hold up traffic behind you. However, most people do this but continue to do so even after the light changes, they continue to be on their phone which is what is causing many accidents. Another precaution that can be useful is to pay attention to road signs, whether it pertains to the speed limit, stop signs, road work, a street running train, etc. People tend to just fly past street signs and not pay any mind to what they say, which is another major cause of accidents.

While I, fortunately, have never been a part of an accident, I do have members in my family who have, such as my mom and younger brother. One summer day in 2023, my mom was taking my brother, who was three at the time, to summer camp. Their car was stopped at a red light, a few feet away from the traffic light. They were just before the street that was perpendicular to the road they were on, with a significant gap between their car and the car in front. A car was coming down the side road, but because of the line of cars stopped at the red light, the driver did not inch out at all to check if others cars were coming, before they pulled out completely. As they did so, there had been a car coming down the road but because the person did not inch out at all, the other car did not see it, and so the car driving down the road ran into the car pulling out which hit into my mom’s car with great force. Airbags came out injuring my mom, and my brother being only three years old, cried at the sudden sound of impact. The driver who was pulling out onto the street, was blamed for the accident. It was a 17 year old girl and her two friends, who obviously had not been paying attention. Upon hitting the two cars, one of them being my mom’s car, she told her two friends to get out of the car and find another ride home. My mom later found out that the reason for this was because the young girl had been driving her mom’s car, and her mom was unaware of the two other girls being in the car with her daughter. This accident was a prime example of how young adults fail to pay attention when on the roads, especially with their friends in the car, possibly causing the driver to become distracted.

There are many steps in which drivers can take to ensure the safety of themselves and other people when on the road. The first step is to quit being prideful and seriously consider taking drivers’ ed. The reason I say this is because I used to say how I did not need to take it because I claimed I already knew how to drive. However, with the increase of accidents this coming year, I realized that there’s more to driving than just the basic knowledge of it. My parents have told me since I was a young girl, that when you are driving, “you have to drive for yourself and for others”. As I grew older, my understanding of that statement increased when seeing how oblivious people can be when driving on the roads. The amount of times I have been close to being in accidents while being with my parents is crazy, but not because of them but of other people simply not paying attention! I’ve learned that you can never just assume that people have the amount of knowledge or common sense it takes to be a safe driver, because the truth is they may not. I’m grateful that I was able to learn this at a young age. From here, my understanding of this subject can only expand.