Better driving habits

Building better driving habits

“We are what we repletely do, excellence then is not an act, it is a habit.”

– Aristotle

When we are younger, we all look forward to getting our permit, followed by our driver’s license and the independence that comes with it. Most of us don’t understand what it takes to be behind the wheel. Thousands of people die or get hurt each year because driving is taken for granted. This is not caused by lack of knowledge; it is due to falling into bad driving habits.

Drivers education lays a strong foundation on how to do the right thing and drive safe. We learn the importance of making sure our mirrors are in place, verifying everyone’s seatbelts are on, and all lights are working. We also learn to be mindful and considerate. We learn to acknowledge our feelings and decide if it is safe to drive, we need to be aware of others, make sure to turn our blinkers on and check our blind spots. We learn to check our phones before we hit the road, to plan a route before we head out and take caution when driving.

If it weren’t for this education, we would be left to learn the hard way. More people would get hurt and pay for breaking rules. As drivers we need to acknowledge the dangers of careless driving to avoid it. Sometimes that means calling a cab, asking a friend for a ride, taking public transportation or simply walking. It is no wonder why in many states Judges will order a defensive driver’s course in lieu of a traffic citation penalty. Many drivers need to be reminded of the dangers of careless driving to prevent accidents like mine. In 2012 I was cut off by a carless driver and lost control of the wheel. My vehicle broke through the guardrail on the highway and fell 20 feet. I suffered life threatening injuries, I had many fractures bones and was in a coma.

For a long time, I tried to justify the driver, maybe they didn’t realize what they did, maybe they had an emergency and had to rush. It took me a long time to realize that there is nothing that can justify the actions of this driver. There is no reason any one of us should be driving carelessly. Leave 5 minutes earlier to avoid rushing. Take a moment to check your phone, making sure you don’t have pending texts or emails and decide what music you want to listen to before you drive. Verify everyone is wearing seatbelts and your car meets safe driving standards. Make safety a priority! Teach others by being a good example, be a leader, guide others into being better drivers. We all know better, driver’s education gives us the knowledge we need to do the right thing, it is our responsibility to follow through with it and help save lives. Taking these precautions consistently turns them into a habit. Start today!