Being a safe driver is better than being a good driver

Driving, one of the biggest responsibilities many seem to forget nowadays. When I first stepped into the driver’s seat, the lights and engine were turned off and the wheel was as stiff as steel, but I knew that this was something big. I sat there and thought of how I’d grip the steering wheel when I made my first turn or how hard I would need to press on the gas pedal to catch up with the rest of the cars. At 16, I knew this was going to be a privilege that came with a responsibility that could kill people or keep them safe.

During my driver’s education class in my sophomore year, my teacher taught me one acronym that I use every time I drive. IPDE (Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute) has helped me stay calm in situations and choose the safest options while being on the road. Learning this acronym made me realize that the education behind driving is the basis for safety on the road and just as important as driving itself. Identifying what is going on, predicting what could happen, deciding what you’re going to do, and executing your decision is the best steps anyone can take within reason. This ensures a rational thinking process that is able to assess a situation on the road within the driver that can save a life in just a second. There are many things I believe many don’t even consider before stepping into the driver’s seat and one of those is your well-being. Whether that’s you entering your vehicle in an upset mindset or just being slightly intoxicated, you need to check with yourself and take a different approach if needed. Without it, we’d be reckless and ignorant.

As I am writing this, the rise in motor vehicle accidents increases and becomes a leading cause of death in the U.S. which can only show the lack of driver’s education that many live with. If there wasn’t a proper structure of driver’s education for every current and future driver, we could be at higher risk of death at any point in our lives. Unfortunately, many have had to endure the pain of a lost loved one or the consequences of someone’s poor choices on the road. I haven’t known this pain but I acknowledge it and know there are more safety precautions people should take. Particularly for me, I was in the backseat of my uncle’s cars with my cousins coming back from a trip. I was a child and as usual, fell asleep in which I found myself waking up to my cousins crying in fear as they saw my uncle being arrested. As I grew up and learned more details from the situation, my uncle was driving drunk and the police caught on and I’ve never been more glad that my uncle was caught that afternoon before any accidents happened. It was an eye-opening moment seeing that our lives were at risk as well as others driving around us and that’s something I believe everyone should know the responsibility it holds.

All in all, learning the educative portion of driving doesn’t make you a good driver but a safe driver and that ends up being better because there is no such thing as a good driver. We have normalized so many things, such as texting and driving or driving crazy to impress our friends. But we only ever see the other side of things when we face those consequences. We shouldn’t wait until that happens to make a change. We can start today by looking up any rules implemented recently by our state, reviewing any road signs you’re still unfamiliar with, and much more. We can protect our loved ones and others just by simply following the rules of the road.