The Importance of Safe Driving

The Importance of Safe Driving

By: Emily Rice

Driving is one of the biggest steps kids take into being adults, mostly because driving is a huge responsibility; when you’re on the road you have to constantly be aware of everything around you because you could look away for one second and then you’re off the road. It’s so important to make sure you’re aware at all times when you’re driving because one bad mistake could lead to injury or even death.

However, there are steps that can be taken that can lower the high number of driving related deaths each year. One big thing is to turn your phone off. We all get distracted by our phones everyday, but you should avoid being on your phone at all times when you’re driving. Turning off your phone’s notifications can help with this so you don’t have to hear it ding and then be curious as to what’s on your phone. Another big thing to act responsibly while driving is to NEVER drink and drive. No matter how much alcohol you’ve consumed, alcohol will distort your judgment and vision and those are both vital to driving safely. A solution to this is to have a designated driver if you plan on going out and drinking, this can be a friend, family member, or driving company such as Uber or Lyft. Another way we can avoid deaths from car accidents is by wearing our seatbelts. No matter how many people are in the car, what time of day it is, or how much the speed limit is. Everyone that’s in the car should always be wearing a seatbelt at all times so in case you do get in an accident, your seatbelt will prevent any further damage such as going through the windshield.

Thankfully the only car accident I’ve been in is a time when someone backed into my car in a parking lot and no one was hurt, but I know lots of people who have been in accidents and how traumatizing they can be. Overall, I think you can take many steps to become a safe driver such as: have a designated driver planned ahead of time if you know drinking will occur, ensure you have your seatbelt on and all other passengers have theirs on, and eliminate any distracting factors in your car like your phone, loud radio, or distracting passengers.