Steering Towards Safety

Driving is often considered routine and is never given the respect it should get, as people have made it a daily habit. There is a great risk every day, and many people die each year in car accidents. Driving involves very important hazards, most of which may be prevented if the driver has the necessary information concerning safety on the road. Driver education is essential since it helps young and inexperienced drivers learn how to drive safely and responsibly on the road. Taking a driver’s education class in high school was a major highlight of my high school life. Before enrolling in the driver education class, I knew the basics of driving but did not know many things about the liability that come with the privilege of driving. Driver’s Education greatly improved my driving skills and made me much more aware of how a driver must always be alert when operating a vehicle. In addition to teaching me how to drive, this class taught me an important principle: following safety and using good judgment will remain highly important habits for the rest of my life, if I want to be the best driver that I can be. 

I also learned that it is important to keep a cool head during bad times. Education has taught me that, whether driving in extreme weather conditions, passing through sudden changes in road construction, or skillfully avoiding other drivers, the most important thing to do in such a situation is to keep calm, which significantly increases my ability to focus on driving and make decisions with a clear mind. For example, I learned the following: driving at slower speeds when it rains, learning to drive on muddy areas, and being alert during long drives. Driving defensively is a duty; this means that once we step inside a car, we must drive safely. 

Driver’s education, in the very literal sense, stressed driving as it should be on how to drive; Driver education is the foundation for safe driving. Everyday measures, such as using lane indicators, stopping at stop signs, following speed limit regulations, and abiding by road rules may have prevented the accident. Driver education has taught me that the issue is not just about the driver; it is about how one contributes to others’ safety on the road. Regarding keeping my speed in check or being aware of other drivers, I realize that my actions greatly determine the safety of everyone on the road. However, danger can also come as well and can happen to anybody. What I have personally witnessed about the risks of distracted driving has made the topic close to my life. A couple of years ago, a good friend of mine got into a car accident because she was texting while driving. Fortunately, my friend did not suffer any serious injuries, but for her, that was the awakening she needed to follow the traffic laws. 

I learned, for example, how fast things can slide out of control if we choose to ignore them or if we make a mistake, silly it may sound. In addition, drivers’ education highlights the risks of impaired driving, speeding, and distractions such as texting. It instills responsibility early on for the benefit of all road users. That is where I made a promise to myself never to text and drive; the promise is 100% to dedicate my full focus to staying away from my phone. I have continued this pledge to myself by sharing with my friends and family on how critical this is and asking them to always be consciously aware when driving. While it is slightly awkward at times to intercede in the behaviors of bad driving, I have found that setting a good example is the best method. In the case of a passenger who is not a friend or family member, I make it a point to mention that my driving habits are very conservative, and I will have no problem alerting them to any questionable or unsafe driving behavior that may present itself and will take over driving if need be. Through continued learning and commitment to the implementation of safe driving habits, this will help the safety of not only the driver but also the communities at large; not only has this been a personal experience but a journey that I am glad I have been a part of. Driver’s education class helped me tremendously. Safer driving begins with education, but it continues every day by the choices being made.