Vehicle Accidents Can Happen To Anyone

Vehicle Accidents Can Happen To Anyone

We must understand that the majority of vehicle accidents are preventable.

Like an athlete learning to sprint, being taught the mechanics and proper skills lead to a safe and smart sprinter. In order to be a safe and smart driver, one must go through driver education to ensure he or she learns all the necessary skills taught by professionals. Drivers can injure themselves or others on the road if they do not know the proper forms behind the wheel. Extreme measures need to be made to ensure people don’t take shortcuts and that they truly understand the accurate way to drive and operate a car. I vividly remember my driver’s teacher informing our class about the life-changing consequences of careless driving. From permanent paralysis to deaths, these can all be prevented if the driver was cautious of his or her actions and behaviors. The number of deaths related to driving can be significantly reduced by emphasizing mindful driving. The steps I can take to become a safer driver will start with becoming aware and mindful of my driving habits. Instead of driving mindlessly, I will make the effort to actively evaluate the way I am driving. For example, by focusing on the road conditions, I can adjust my speed accordingly. This not only protects me as a driver but also other drivers on the road. Being more mindful when I am driving will also help speed up my overall reaction rate. Researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute have found that a driver’s reaction time is doubled when distracted by minor activities such as reading or texting. To ensure I keep myself, my passengers, and other drivers safe from preventable accidents, I will drive actively. Drivers should not only drive with attention, but they should drive with active attention. Active attention, by definition, is when a person gives his or her full attention to the current task. This means the performer must mentally silence other thoughts or processes occurring in the background. Active attention can be perfected and achieved through daily mediation and mindfulness practices. As an engaging member of my community, I have used my voice to inform my neighbors and peers about the importance of meditating. From creating and managing my website, DailyLove, to participating in Penn State’s meditation training, I have made it my mission to raise awareness on the benefits of meditation and mindfulness. Although performing active attention needs effort and practice, it is vital when it comes to increasing our awareness and reaction times during life-changing operations such as driving. Despite my ability to say, gratefully, that I have not experienced any car-related injuries, I have started to notice detrimental habits my friends and family have developed. Over the years, I see my parents become less strict and careful when they go behind the wheel. As I watch my father periodically glance at his phone throughout the drive, I think back to when he forbade even having phones around when someone was at the wheel. I believe these lowered restrictions developed because of the increased comfort my parents gain throughout the years. It takes a traumatic experience to truly understand how important it is to persist with cautious and careful driving. To ensure that drivers continue practicing safe and mindful driving, they must be reminded of the life-changing consequences that can occur because of their negligence. As we continue navigating the roads along with millions of others, we must never fail to forget that vehicle tragedies can happen to anyone.

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