In The Driver Seat

Learning to drive is a very big step in your life. It’s exciting, gives you new opportunities, but it can also be frightening. I am lucky enough to have a school that provides a driver education class, but there are many companies that can provide this service too. This class is very important so you learn the rules of the road and that you are confident when you’re alone driving. Many deaths occur while driving. I see many traffic jams due to accidents on the interstate and sometimes even on slower main roads. It is important to avoid these situations and driver education can teach you to be a defensive driver and avoid accidents. When driving alone or with people in the car, you essentially have their lives in your hands. Many people don’t think about this when they drive. In order to reduce deaths due to driving, you need to stay off of your phone, keep your music on a lower volume, and try not to eat when you are driving. These are very important factors because they all take your focus away from driving and what’s happening in front of you. I also think that the new technology and the big touch screens that are built into the cars are very distracting as well. My parents recently bought a new car with a touchscreen in it. It can be very distracting when calls, messages, and songs pop up on the screen. These can cause accidents because your focus is not on driving. You’re too busy looking at what song is next or who texted you, that you could easily crash. I’m very blessed to not have been in any car accident as well as my parents. I am extremely grateful for this because I know others that have lost family to car accidents. My best friend however has been in two car accidents. The second was worse than the first, but I am not exactly sure how they happened. When she called me both times my heart dropped because I never expected something like that to happen to someone I was so close with. I don’t know what I would have done if she didn’t make it through the accidents. I remember the calls very vividly because I was so shocked by what I heard. In order to make myself a better driver, I am going to focus on the road more and eliminate the distractions inside of my vehicle as I drive. Driving the speed limit and keeping a good distance away from the car in front of me can help prevent accidents by allowing time to brake. I think people who have large new touch screens or new technology in general within their cars need to focus on what’s in front of them and not the dashboard. These small steps can make a huge difference in avoiding accidents. You have other peoples lives in your hands no matter if they are in your car or not.