Prepare and Prevent

It
was my first day behind the wheel completely on my own. I adjusted my
mirrors, turned on my ‘Do not disturb while driving’ option on my
phone, and buckled up. I was ready.

Growing
up, I had many mixed emotions about driving. I was prepared for the
freedom learning to drive would give me, but I was also nervous about
the consequences that could happen if I didn’t take driving education
seriously. In my drivers ed class, I learned about defensive
driving, and boy have I taken it seriously. I keep my music, if I
even have it on, at a low volume, I set my cruise one or two notches
below the speed limit, and I keep a close eye on the cars that will
ultimately fly past me. Now, people may not need to be as vigilante
about driving as I am, but taking similar precautions, and adopting
defensive driving techniques like the ones I implement in my life
would dramatically reduce the amount of driving casualties people see
on the road today.

It
is important to learn measures that need to be taken to reduce the
number of deaths caused by driving because with how many people that
are driving or are going to be driving, the number of accidents
continues to be high. The more people learn about the consequences of
driving, the less likely they are to cause or be in one of those
accidents. With the right education, drivers will become better and
safer than ever, and in some instances, happier. More education on
driving safety will allow drivers to become better at working through
problems regarding traffic and road problems, rather than against it,
and will ultimately have less stress and a higher level of comfort
while driving.

Thankfully,
I have never been the cause of a car accident, and have never
actually been in an accident either. There have been close calls,
however. With so many drivers being distracted by friends,
technology, or even just not paying attention, accidents or close
calls have become more frequent than ever. I have been in the
passenger seat on multiple occasions and have had to tell the driver
to slow down or be more careful. Most of the time, my comments are
brushed off, but the more the matter is continued to be pushed,
overtime, the driving becomes more safe. Becoming aware of the issues
regarding driving safety and implementing techniques to be a better
driver yourself will be better for everyone. Prepare and prevent,
don’t repair and repent.