Why I’m a safe driver

We have all been behind that one guy who decides to get into the turning lane at the last minute, or those people who are next to your when there are two left turn lanes and they go into your lane. You never expect it, and had you been even a few seconds late, there would have been a collision. Sometimes it can be hard to tell if someone is doing it on purpose to make you mad or if they are doing it because they didn’t know it was wrong. We all hate that guy. This is where driver education comes into the picture. Drivers education is very important, especially for newer drivers. It’s easy to make a small mistake that could end up costing someone their lives, or a lot of money. Mistakes like eating a meal while driving, checking your text messages, letting your mind wander to something that’s not the road, dozing off, changing your music choice, and talking to passengers in the car.

In high school, my classmates were driving cars to and from school, and to go on dates, only a few of them were actually licensed. They would come back telling stories of how they almost hit other cars and it honestly made me scared to ever be in the car with them. What were they thinking? They should have taken more precautions like avoiding driving while distracted, actually obeying the traffic laws, and not using alcohol or drugs. These youngsters these days are impossible, they like to sneak out to places at night, and take their parents’ cars. Driving at night should be limited, and only done when necessary.

I was in a car accident once when I was 6. Although I was young, I remember every moment like it just happened. I will never forget that day. My mother was driving me to sleep over with my best friend Ellie. While passing through an intersection, a drink driver decided to run the red light and hit the driver’s side, completely totaling the car. Luckily, I was in the back seat on the passenger side. We were in a small car and he had a pick up truck. I still have the image of my mother’s body etched into my mind. My mother was in the hospital for almost a month. During that time I stayed with my Grandma. I did not want to be anywhere near the road because I was so scared. My family could only take me places while I was sleeping. As I grew up, I tried to walk everywhere as much as possible. I was traumatized, and even now I still get nervous while driving.

In order to be a safer driver, I practice paying attention and being alert at all times. wearing a seatbelt, traveling at the recommended speed limit, only driving when I am well rested and sober, keeping my headlights on to increase visibility, and leaving my phone in my purse. I came close to losing a loved one and it was a very scary experience. I want to make sure no one else has to go through what I have done. I help keep drunk drivers off the roads by being an Uber driver. This way I can reduce the risk of someone getting in a car crash.