In the Driver’s Seat

More people are driving on the roads these days than ever before. This includes elderly people, new drivers, and teenagers. These are just some of the people on the road that drivers have to be careful to watch out for. Some people are new to driving, like many other teenagers, but many are uneducated and do not know safe driving practices, or what to do on the road. A number of accidents could be prevented through proper outreach and education, and that can reduce driving-related deaths.

When I was 15, I went on a trip to Atlanta with my father for a day, and we were on the highway there, in stop and go traffic. Atlanta is stop-and-go at any time of the day or night, and anyone driving there knows that, so many people take extra precautions. Others do not, and many are unsafe drivers. We were sitting there in the traffic, stopped, when out of nowhere another car plowed into the back of my mother’s car. I almost hit my head on the dashboard, it rocked our car so hard. Unbelievably, when my father got out to check, there was only a dent. But the young lady behind us that ran into our car was being an unsafe driver; she was texting and driving and as a result, she kept accelerating instead of stopping and hit us. This was incredibly unsafe and frankly, was quite scary at the time. While no one was hurt, it could have been prevented had she been driving safely instead of driving distractedly.

That experience right there made me realize just how dangerous other people on the road could be, and that it is very important to educate myself on safe driving practices so I do not end up in that situation myself. It is incredibly important to educate drivers- especially new drivers- that are unfamiliar with things like the rules of the road. Following the rules of the road and staying educated are some very important and very easy ways to prevent accidents and deaths. Another very important way is to drive defensively, which is unfortunate, but it is a way to keep yourself safe while driving. Basically, assume that anything can happen on the road; unfortunately, it can, all the more reason to drive defensively. Especially for people that live in large cities, it is important to practice defensive driving. This means that drivers should keep a safe distance from the cars in front of them, begin to brake slowly so they don’t have to slam on the brakes, keep near the speed limit, and give yourself some time. The time is important, whether it is at a stop sign, stoplight, or when turning. Unfortunately, this is necessary, as other drivers are unsafe and will often run red lights and stop signs. This can prevent getting t-boned and dying in a car accident.

Some steps that can be taken to reduce the number of driving-related deaths are to reach out and teach young drivers some tips and rules of the road, and to further enforce driving-related laws, like texting and driving laws. Many teens are taught how to drive by their parents, and while their parents may be great drivers, many are not up to date on the rules of the road and new laws related to driving that have passed since they started driving. If they started by looking at resources and going over some important rules with parents or educators, it starts the driving experience on a good foot. Everyone should also be aware of the laws in their state relating to driving. A good example is the state I live in, Tennessee. A very important one is the Texting While Driving Law, “(TCA 55-8-199), where texting while driving a vehicle in Tennessee is illegal.” (tn.gov) This is an important law to be aware of but unfortunately it is not enforced as much as it should be. There are many accidents that could have been prevented if law enforcement had stopped and ticketed someone, and that could save lives.

Some steps I have taken and can continue to take are to put my phone and any other distractions away while I am driving. I put my phone in the console on top of my dashboard and leave it on silent, so that all distractions are minimized while I am driving places. Another is to drive without music, so that another distraction is away for now. I am a new enough driver that I still get distracted occasionally, so knocking out all possible distractions is important.

It is important to be a safe driver, even when other drivers or even family members are not, because that can prevent car crashes and save lives- especially yours. Driving defensively, staying educated and limiting distractions are the best ways to do this and keep everyone on the road safe.

Citation:
https://www.tn.gov/safety/publicsafety/top10tnlaws.html