Driving Safe: What Should be Done?

Driver’s education is highly important in reducing vehicular accidents, fatal or not, because the driver is in control of their vehicle, and must ensure that they remain so until they leave the car. Training in various basic situations that drivers in real life are presented with is essential to educate drivers. They must be taught the laws related to driving and must be evaluated according to their ability to remember them in unexpected situations where their intuition may tell them to do otherwise.

In preparing for driving, training should be divided into two categories to ensure quality and quantity of instruction provided during training: actual driving training, mentally preparing students for driving by educating them about the different situations they may encounter and possible consequences they may face in the case of an accident. At present, there are very little driving classes where examples of accidents and what caused them are covered. Active and passive safety steps must be taught in classes. At present, many today’s cars offer many drive assist technologies like those that ensure the car stays in the lane, those that stop when the car gets too close to another and risks an accident, etc. To aid already licensed drivers with older cars that do not have these technologies, machines that can be retrofitted to the older vehicle to perform the same functions should be created. Car manufacturers should invest more into improving the safety and rigidity of the cars frame. Government organizations that govern roads should invest into improving the safe of roads by forming more run-off areas, implement road banking correctly whenever needed, install better road barrier railings and better lighting.

Fortunately, neither I nor anyone in my family have ever been involved in a vehicular accident. Perhaps a testament that the current training system and technologies available are safe for some and proof that current safety measures are a step in the right direction, the accidents that I hear being announced on the radio everyday is proof that there is still a lot that can be improved in terms of road and vehicle safety.

To further ensure safety, the driver must make sure to pay close attention to their surroundings when they are driving. The driver should make sure they are familiar with the area they will be driving in, or at least be aware of the directions that they will follow to reach their destination before they begin driving. Simple things like ensuring lane changes, turns, etc. are made only when safe and with appropriate precautions taken, always putting the seat belt on, adjusting mirror positions, altering the driver seat position to best suit the driver’s height, not fiddling with the audio player or phone, etc. also greatly affect how safe a driver will be throughout their journey. Basic checks like these will reduce chances of an accident occurring greatly. Most of all, the driver must feel confident and safe will driving, while enjoying the road to their destination.