B-U-C-K-L-E-U-P!

B-U-C-K-L-E-U-P! You can drive me anywhere you want…as long as you are a safe driver! Safe driving has multiple aspects to it and it takes conscious and unconscious thinking all of the time from everyone on the road. The first way for most people learn about safe driving methods and information is through their driver’s education course or through trial and error through everyday observations. Driver’s educations courses are important. Most people have access during their high school years to take this course. I believe that a driver’s educations course should be paid for by the state that the person is a legal resident of, and it should be mandatory before a person receives their license and must be renewed every 10 years through an in person test to prove that they are deserving of a license. Driver’s educations courses have been proven to improve driver safety. It can be hard to quantify how many lives are “saved” from driver’s education but it has been shown that drivers who take the course are better at making correct decisions and have improved driving skills.

There are steps you take every day unknowingly to help reduce the number of deaths related to driving. For example, ensuring that all windows are clear of debris, all mirrors are clear and in working order, that you have gotten enough rest, and not being impaired. Next steps are making sure that you pay attention to those around you and be aware of the environment, controlling your anger when put in an upsetting situation. Driving is not something that you can zone out and perform, you should not be 100% comfortable when you have the responsibility of your life and others around you. Also, be mindful of your speeds compared to posted speed limits and be mindful of your car compared to those around you and ensure that you are not drifting into other lanes. Most countries around the world are able to mitigate these issues by continuous CCTV recording on roadways. They give signs for speeding, eating food, or even looking at your phone or GPS screen for too long.

I have never been in a car accident, and I thank God for that because in reality humans are fragile creatures, and anything can happen. There have been close calls but thankfully with my defensive driving that I have learned, I have been able to avoid these. I remember when I was younger my father used to practice a lot of unsafe driving habits. He was driving unlicensed and drove drunk about 80% of the time. There was one night I remember in particular; my father was driving in the darkness along this windy country road. He was drunk and a few times he had drifted off the road with myself and two of my siblings in the backseat. We had to scream at him, and he continued to do it until finally we made it back home. I do not forgive him for this, and it is part of the reason our relationship suffers and is nonexistent to this day.

There are numerous steps I can take to become a better and safer driver. For example, recently I took the steps to getting my vision checked and glasses earlier this year. I realized that I could not see as well as I used to when things were farther away. I also started to avoid driving at night because I seemed to have developed astigmatism. My doctor mentioned that astigmatism is caused by my eyes being shaped like footballs. This causes lights at night to have a bright halo that can interfere with my vision. I also do enjoy having social drinks with my friends and I will plan ahead to have a designated driver or order an uber back to my house.

Being aware and being educated on safe driving practices are not just something people should take into account when they have been in an accident or lost someone due to an accident. Safe driving is more of a preventative practice versus a lesson learned. I don’t want to have to worry about my driving practices after sending someone to the hospital or having myself end up in the hospital bed with broken bones and wires tangling all over the top of my body. I try every day to practice my safest measures because I am not ready to leave this life that I worked so hard and I would not want to take away someone else from their mom, brothers, aunts, cousins, or children due to my own selfishness and ignorance.