The Importance of being a Safe Driver

Being from a small town and then attending a school in a busy city like Atlanta has plenty of risks. In the beginning, I’ve always had this fear of getting into a car accident caused by me. Once I started getting accustomed to driving in a big city, I realized I had nothing to fear. I made sure I was always paying attention to my surroundings and following the rules of the road. The fear of me causing an accident quickly faded because I knew I was doing my part and being safe. However, something I learned very quickly was that not everyone on the road is doing the same.

One Monday morning in Atlanta, I was driving to school. It seemed as if this was a morning just like any other morning, and I was expecting nothing peculiar to happen. I was just ready to get to school, get work done, and do whatever else I needed that day, but that never happened. As I was driving down Atlanta St, I approached a stoplight. When the light turned green, I began to start driving and “BAM.” I had just been rear-ended. Terrified and trying to collect my thoughts again, another “BAM.” I had been hit twice, and this time I screamed because I didn’t know if I should expect the third hit, nor did I know what was going on. My car went into the next lane, but thankfully the drivers were alert and went around my vehicle. I had been hit twice by a commercial truck, and the driver had fallen asleep behind the wheel. It took forever for me to get out of the vehicle because I had gone into shock over what had just happened. Of course, I did have to go to the hospital, and I had to take physical therapy for minor

injuries. I do believe that me wearing a seat belt prevented a lot more injuries that could’ve happened. Wearing a seatbelt is probably one of the most significant things taught in Drivers education.

Driver education is very crucial. Many students learn from their parents, but parents don’t always know best. Getting more help from an actual instructor could have plenty of benefits. One thing you learn about in Drivers Education is bike lane awareness and safety. Something not commonly talked about, but it is just as important as the other rules. Most drivers (including adults) are not aware of the rules involving bike lanes. Driver’s education teaches about when it’s actually legal for us to drive through a bike lane. This is important to me because I have witnessed people drive through a bike lane just because no bikes were present. Lastly, driver’s education is crucial because it provides you with skills and knowledge to keep you, the drivers around you, and pedestrians safe.

There are plenty of steps to be taken to reduce the number of deaths from driving. I think a fundamental way to reduce deaths is to anticipate the actions of others. It is an old saying that the best drivers drive defensively. If I learn more to identify the other driver’s behavior while driving, it will help me predict their next move. Another step to be taken is making sure your vehicle is in top condition. I think we should do our best always to make sure our breaks are correctly and properly working. Our windows should be squeaky clean, and our tires should be properly inflated. When these things are not moving or working correctly, we have less control over the vehicle.

Being that I am not perfect, I know that I am capable of making mistakes. So, for myself to be a better driver, I plan on taking another driver’s education course. I plan to do this because I am from a tiny town, and the roads there are not as advanced as in Atlanta. I think there are

plenty of advanced driving courses out there to help me improve my driving skills. Also, I will only drive when I am in a sound physical and mental condition. I believe the only time anyone should drive on the road is when we are alert and clearheaded. Anything can distract us from giving our full attention to the road. Being overly tired or thinking about a very heated argument can easily steal your attention. Driving while tired weakens your driving, just like drugs or alcohol. So, in the end, the only thing we can do is take responsibility for learning the road and making sure we stay safe because we cannot control the other vehicles around us but having the confidence that we are safe drivers can give us some ease while on the road.