It’s You Versus Yourself

Reading the manual seems easy, but it’s always difficult to sit down and focus. I personally have not taken a driver’s education course, but I did read the Nevada Driver’s Manual Handbook, which was quite a long read. Lots of different safety protocols, techniques and strategies for safe driving, and rules and names to what things are. I originally thought that driving was common sense, and why should there be a whole book dedicated to pointing out the rules and simple knowledge that most, if not all, drivers should have. At the time of reading, I was only fifteen. Looking back at eighteen, having driven with my driver’s permit and license, I realized the importance of being educated on driving.

Driving when there are other drivers present is a completely different challenge than driving by yourself in an empty parking lot. When you drive on the road when there are other drivers present, you have to be ultra-aware of your surroundings. Comparing driving on an empty lot, driving with other drivers takes a lot of skill and focus. When you are on your own in an empty lot, the only stress that is present is your own, and maybe that of whoever is teaching you. You can be stressed over how to manipulate your vehicle, or how to properly turn, or knowing when and what the proper angles are when turning your wheel. However, when you are driving on the road when there are other drivers present, your stress of driving increases exponentially. Not only your own stress you are now dealing with, but the stress of the drivers next to you, in front of you, behind you, diagonal from you, and even pedestrians appearing out of nowhere. That is the kind of stress that many drivers experience, whether they are new drivers or experienced.

Experienced drivers are more confident with their driving skill and may not have the same amount of stress that a new driver may have. This kind of confidence influences the driver’s behavior. Whether it be being distracted on the phone, eating, or doing anything else, those behaviors can be common. I know this because I have experienced it. I’ve watched my parents sneak a quick text when their light is red, my boyfriend changing his music while driving on a wide empty road, even myself checking my phone while rolling to a red light. It is so easy to get distracted, especially in the age of technology. Not only your phone, but directions on your car’s gps or your radio, or even other people in your car. It may be convenient to have access to all of these things, but also extremely dangerous. Learning and being educated on driving laws and safety can bring awareness to these dangers.

Being educated on driving safely should be a necessity to everyone. Not just the rules of the road but also safe driving habits and dangerous driving habits. Being wary of your surroundings is easier said than actually doing. Driver’s education can bring more awareness to the dangers of distracted driving and can prevent people from doing it. The best steps that can be taken to prevent accidents is to be cautious while driving. That is being aware of you and the drivers around you. Preventing distraction as well, such as turning off your phone or setting up a route and directions before driving, can help with avoiding these things while driving. However, that is all you can do for yourself. You cannot control how other drivers drive.

I was in the car with my grandma, playing on my phone in the passenger seat beside her. Then, a car smacked into our front end so hard that the headlight fell out of its socket and hung on by a couple of loose wires. My grandma was going through a straight road and the other car had turned into her. It was my grandma’s go, not the other car. That driver was not paying attention and thankfully only damaged the car and not my grandma or me. Other drivers may practice safe driving habits, or they may not. It is up to yourself to ensure that you are being a safe driver, as you can’t control the way that other people drive.

It definitely could have been the other way around. My grandma could have been the distracted one going full speed, but thankfully, she saw the other driver and slowed down– minimizing the damage we took. If my grandma wasn’t being observant, worse could have happened. The best thing to do to prevent those kinds of accidents is to be wary of your surroundings and the other drivers on the road. Don’t allow yourself to become distracted, endangering yourself and everyone else on the road. It is truly a challenge of self control, knowing when is the right time to be distracted and when is the right time to focus on the road.