The Art of Driving

The Art of Driving

Why do car accidents occur? Surely, if a driver has passed various driving tests and driving school, they would know how to drive…right? Driving school is a necessary step in the process of getting your driving license; it teaches you about the universal rules of the road and how to safely act when encountering specific signs and situations. However, dangerous driving habits manifest when the driver gets to drive on their own without anyone telling them what to do. This is why the leading cause of death for teenagers – who is experiencing that freedom for the first time – is car accidents.

Kids in this day and age are provided with technology such as smartphones at a young age, allowing for addiction and dependency on them to start early – that addiction doesn’t go away even when driving. The automatic reflex to check your phone when you get a notification can be so strong that the driver will check it and put themselves, fellow drivers, and passers-by at very high risk. This dangerous driving habit can be put to a stop by putting your phone in the back seat of your car as soon as you get into it – the same way that you should put on your seatbelt as soon as you get into your car. Any notification that you receive can wait until you are safely at your destination. The excuse of “I was driving” is a perfectly reasonable justification and the person who had texted you will wholeheartedly accept your answer – they might even start following your example if they are also the type to text while driving. This plan could all be for naught if you choose to turn around and grab your phone as soon as your car is at a stopping point since it takes your attention away from your surroundings and possibly dangerous fellow drivers. In this case, the best course of action is to put it in the seat directly behind you so that it is not possible to reach it.

Another dangerous driving habit is speeding which can be resolved by leaving for your destination early. If you have an ample amount of time to get to your destination, you can calmly take on any inconveniences that occur on the road such as traffic or car accidents; instead of stressing out and swiftly swerving through other cars in order to get ahead or speeding as soon as you get into a clearer area. Speeding is dangerous because you cannot stop your car in time if the car in front of you is suddenly stopped by an unforeseen event – you, the driver in front of you, and any other surrounding drivers and passer-by could get seriously injured or worse. If you drive at a reasonable speed, then you can observe your surroundings better and can avoid dangerous drivers that pose a threat to your safety. This solution can only help people that speed due to poor time management skills, not for people who speed for fun and the adrenaline rush.

Personally, I have had multiple experiences being in a car with my dad driving irresponsibly. We have also gotten in a car accident together, thankfully, neither of us were hurt. He has done multiple unsafe actions while driving such as eating, texting, changing the song on their phone, pouring a drink, etc. I have never considered his driving to be role-model worthy or acceptable – it is the exact behavior I strive to never do while driving. His driving has made me a safer driver and no matter how comfortable I become at driving, I will never take advantage of my experience and conduct unsafe actions.