A safer future is a future I want to live in.

“What a simple task”, “get off the road”, “don’t they know how to drive?” “How did they get a driver’s license?”. These are all common things we have probably heard at one time or another in our life of driving or being a passenger. Ask yourself though, who is the educated driver, the aggressor, or the aggressed? Driving may seem like a simple concept to many, but it is a real skill that one must learn, develop, and continue to maintain throughout life. Everything from being able to navigate your vehicle to mastering how to appropriately react to others navigating theirs. 

Good news! With proper education, death by auto accidents can be greatly reduced. Learning the essential skills of maneuvering your vehicle and predicting the actions of the vehicles around you can and will prevent accidents, in turn preventing and reducing deaths. 

We live in an age and time when information is extremely accessible and often free to obtain. As quickly as we can order food or check social media, we can also access websites, videos, and guides that offer information about nearly any subject or topic including resources to increase and refresh your driving skills.

In an ever-evolving and adapting world, this is important. For example, one way that we can reduce the number of deaths related to driving is by removing items that can be distracting while driving such as cell phones.  Some more resources available to us online are classes like driver’s education that we can register for which offer excellent in-person opportunities to learn and refresh driving skills and rules of the road. A benefit to this type of class is still feeling safe and secure with a professional who can take control in the event we need someone to support us in learning new skills in new scenarios. 

Driving can be unpredictable, and an accident may not necessarily be your fault, which is why it’s important to be alert while driving. This reminds me of a personal experience in September 2024. I was driving to a concert with a friend, following along in traffic with vehicles in front of and behind us. We went through a tunnel and around the corner when suddenly a car came across the center line and hit us head-on. After spinning in the road, our vehicle hit a tree and came to a rest. Thankfully I was okay, my friend was okay, and the part of the car that was destroyed, luckily no one was sitting in. I will never forget the first words the driver that hit us said, “I’m sorry, I was looking at my phone.” The impact that this statement has made on me continues to resonate and keeps me always alert and not distracted while driving. An accident does not just affect you, it affects everyone involved in the accident and can even affect some that are not, like friends, family, and bystanders. 

The next time you are with friends, family, or loved ones. Consider what you have read today. Take simple steps to make your journey safer such as eliminating distractions. Put your phone away and reduce the likelihood of a notification taking your attention off the road. Consider that you are navigating a vehicle that is in your control and you can not control the vehicles around you, for reasons like this listening to music at acceptable levels to enjoy yet not impair your ability to focus on the road. 

Speeding is one of the top causes of automobile accidents. Getting to your destination safely is the objective above getting to your destination fast. Something important to consider is that speed limits are placed so that you can react to unpredictable situations, while it may feel like limits are placed to slow you down and make life hard. The reality is that these limits are in place to protect you, and the ones you love. 

In the world and the time that we live in, it’s easy to become self-absorbed and forget that the decisions you make impact the ones around you in every way. Driving is a powerful privilege that we have been given in society and humanity and when done responsibly can be a beautiful freedom that we are all lucky to experience.  Through time, education, and a desire to be self-aware and improve, we can all do our part to reduce deaths by automobiles. Driving brings a special kind of freedom to your life, one that is to be enjoyed and shared.