Name: Audrey Covington
From: San Diego, CA
Votes: 0
Receiving
drivers ed, including studying the DMV manual and behind
the wheel training, is crucial for being prepared to safely navigate
the road in any situation. If more people took the time to review the
laws of the road, there would be fewer accidents. Being reminded to
use the “three second rule” to avoid tailgating can prevent
rear-ending, the most frequent type of collision. Being reminded of
the jail time associated with driving intoxicated can motivate
someone to make smarter decisions at an upcoming party.
People
should take brief refresher courses throughout their driving careers,
similar to the online class teenagers have to take to get their
permit. People can forget key concepts between the ages of sixteen
and sixty years old. Recalling these laws and the penalties for
breaking the rules would incentivise safe driving among more people.
One
day when I was in second grade, my mom was driving my little sister
home from preschool when our car was t-boned by a young driver. This
driver failed to look both ways before pulling out of a shopping
center lot, and my mom and sister were hospitalized as a result.
During my multiple behind the wheel training sessions to prepare me
for my license test, my instructors constantly reminded me to check
for oncoming traffic before turning, even if it looks like no one is
coming. One instructor, a former sheriff, shared that skipping
looking over your shoulder when doing something as simple as changing
lanes can be the difference between a normal day and a life-changing
accident.
This
instruction, along with the memory of my second grade self crying in
the backseat of my dad’s car on the way to the hospital because I
feared for my mom and sister, helps me to be a safe driver on the
road. But people should not need a traumatic memory to motivate them
to be careful drivers. Driving cautiously on the road comes down to a
matter of respect for others. Your time is no more important than the
people in the cars around you. Swerving and accelerating around
people who drive slower than you does not prove a point, it just
creates unnecessary stress and increases accident risk. On a personal
level, I remind my friends to stay off their phones while they drive
and to let me choose the next song while I sit in the passenger seat.
I encourage my dad to calm down when he gets frustrated in traffic.
Ultimately, drivers should focus more on the big picture. If you’re
late to work, thinking about sending a quick text while driving, or
just having a bad day, don’t take it out on the road. Maybe going
at the speed limit and staying off your phone takes away your chance
of arriving at work on time or getting back to your friend right
away, but performing careless dangerous maneuvers, speeding, and
driving while distracted can take away your chance of living out the
rest of your life.
