Staying safe on the roads

Driving is arguably one of the largest privileges many people receive. Everyone who goes out on the roads to commute not only relies on their own cognitive skills and knowledge of the roadways, but also those of the thousands of other drivers that will be encountered on the drive. That can be an overwhelming concept to think about. That is why it is imperative that all people be thoroughly educated on the rules and regulations of the road, and understand that driving is not the time to mess around or multitask. Whenever you are driving, not only are you responsible for your own well being, but also for the other people in your vehicle and the other drivers out on the road.

Safety on the road starts with proper education. People should be taught the rules and regulations of roads so that the ¨I didn´t know that was a rule¨ aspect can be disregarded. I believe that continual education throughout a lifetime would benefit roadway safety. If people were formally reminded of the laws, it could significantly decrease the amount of unfortunate deaths that occur due to reckless driving. Driver’s safety courses should be mandatory every five or ten years to ensure driver competence and hopefully reduce the number of vehicular deaths.

While I have never been in a car while getting into an accident, I have been in an accident with a car. I am an avid cyclist and hit a car this year while on a ride. The car stopped at their stop sign, then proceeded into the intersection as I was approaching and I could not brake in time. I had the right of way so they were legally at fault, however, there was an illegally parked car at the intersection blocking the car driver´s view. If the driver of the parked car knew that their park was illegal, this incident could have been avoided. I hear of too many biking incidents that occur due to drivers not understanding or abiding to the rules. Reminding people of the rules would be a useful method of reducing vehicle related accidents.

I believe that I am a very responsible driver, but there is always room for improvement. I am certainly not the person to be going 90 mph on a highway, but I could improve my driving by being more consistent in looking both ways through every intersection, even when I have the clear right of way. The possibility of kids being present necessitates an extra level of caution. Therefore, I advocate for driving slowly on residential roads. Also, residential roads are usually not long, so going fast does not dramatically decrease the drive time.

Overall, driving is a very efficientl way to commute, travel, and transport. However, there is a risk to being on the roads that everyone contributes to when they drive. The risk could be significantly decreased if we were educated on driving often. If we are all shrewd and smart drivers that understand all of the rules, driving would be much safer and fewer people would lose their lives due to reckless driving.