Slow and Steady Wins the Race

In my hometown, we have a circle, also known as a roundabout or a rotary. One of my first driving lessons was on the way to my best friend’s house, which required me to drive through the circle. I knew the rules, but I didn’t know the timing, so I sat at the entrance until the circle emptied. The truck driver behind me was not pleased.

At the school I now attend, there is a succession of two circles to get to campus. Because of my hometown, I know how to use them, and can generally keep myself safe. Unfortunately, I’ve ran into many situations on the way to class where others don’t know the rules of the road concerning circles, and I’ve been put in a dangerous spot. While the speed is so low in this particular example, it perfectly describes why driver education is so important. Drivers that don’t know the rules of the road are not only at risk of harming themselves, but they also put everyone around them at risk.

When I moved away for college, I had to educate myself on new road laws. In Michigan, there is a center turn lane which is used to turn left. On my rural backroads at home, we have nothing like it. In Michigan, there is a concept called a “Michigan Left,” where you can legally make U-turns, and they’re very popular. Again, I had to learn how to maneuver those to keep myself and other drivers on the road safe.

By knowing the rules of the road through driver education, drivers can predict what others will do. This is one thing we can all do that will reduce the number of driving-related deaths. Another necessary change is the common occurrence of driving under the influence.

Growing up in a small town, people assume that back roads are safe; police don’t patrol them and there’s no traffic, so speeding and driving under the influence isn’t a big deal. Because of that assumption, our small town’s population decreases every year due to influenced-driving accidents, and we mourn another untimely death.

My final thought on preventing deaths related to driving is the use of technology in cars. I am the biggest fan of GPS, but my phone is my enemy in the car. I challenge each person that reads this essay to pay attention the next time they go out driving. Look at the drivers in the other cars and count how many have their heads down and their eyes pointed at their laps while their car is in motion. It is shocking. Removing the use of phones in cars would prevent an incredible number of accidents and yet, so many people can’t bear it.

My best friend, the same one that lives on the other side of the circle, used to watch movies on her phone while she drove. When telling a story, she’d search the characters up on social media, all while driving 65 miles per hour. That same friend ended up in a ditch on the side of the road due to her phone.

That same year, I was in an accident as well. My grandmother had gifted me her car, and I had never been more proud of a possession. I was in the driveway handwashing and vacuuming that car every week. One week before I was supposed to drive halfway across the country to start my freshman year of college, I was T-boned in a parking lot. I had to replace the entire passenger side of the car but was unharmed. Three years later, I still get nervous in parking lots.

A decade earlier, I hadn’t been so lucky. My brothers and I were riding to the doctor’s office with our mother. A deer jumped out into the road and landed right on the windshield. Glass went everywhere. My brothers and I were unharmed, but our mother had to be taken to the hospital via ambulance. She had glass in her eyes, and now wears special contacts due to the ongoing effects.

To be a better, safer driver, I firmly believe that we all need to slow down. Instead of rushing into driving without knowing the rules of the road, we should take the time to research the law and understand how to operate safely and predictably when driving. Instead of speeding to our destination and weaving in and out of traffic, we should accept lateness, or plan ahead better next time. Instead of opening our phones while driving, we should wait until we are parked, so we can protect those around us. Instead of rushing to grab the keys after having a few drinks, we should stop, think, and ask ourselves, “am I OK to drive?”

We all know that accidents happen. Deer run across the road, black ice catches us off-guard, curbs come out of nowhere, but we as drivers need to make an effort to ensure the safety of ourselves and those around us. One day, I hope my future children will be able to drive on accident-free roads with a nonexistent driving-related death rate, but it starts with us, right now, today.