Safe Driving

Safe Driving

Imagine you just turn 16, the first in your group of friends to be of legal driving age. You’re excited to get your license and hit the open road with your friends. One day you head out as the chauffer of the pack with all your buddies piled into your new car. The added distraction of your friends allows you to lose focus just long enough to get into a head on collision. This is exactly what happened to my friend Connor. Luckily, they all survived as they weren’t going highway speeds, but many teenagers aren’t so lucky. In America, an average of 34,000 people die yearly in car accidents. It’s a tragedy which leaves many people behind to mourn the loss of their loved ones. It makes you wonder how can we make driving safer and reduce the number of deaths along the way?

The best way to reduce the number of driving related deaths is to consistently practice safe driving procedures; not only while you’re being trailed by a sheriff, but all the time, even if you’re the only car on the road. This includes things like wearing a seatbelt, going the speed limit, paying attention to the road and checking blind spots when making lane changes. These behaviors need to be practiced over and over until they are made a habit so ingrained in yourself that you cannot forget them. According to the Federal Motor Carrier safety Administration “71% of large truck accidents occur as a result of the driver doing something other than driving the truck. The evidence is irrefutable that distracted driving isn’t good driving

It also helps to lead by example. Parents should always practice safe driving techniques because their kids are always watching. The way children observe their parents driving leaves an impression on how they think driving should be, and if they’re shown bad driving habits they’re likely to carry those with them when they reach driving age.

The biggest distraction to drivers now adays are cell phones. Many smart phones now offer modes to turn off notifications when cruising down the street. That’s a good first step but an even better step would be to turn the phone off completely and put it away so there isn’t any temptation, out of sight out of mind. Most states have put laws in place to prohibit the use of phones while driving cars so this will also save your wallet from a pricy ticket.

If these steps could be followed by everyone there would be much fewer accidents, the death rate would go down and there would be more families getting to see they’re new drivers drive back into their driveways. Practice good driving habits and don’t be a Connor.