Staying Safe on the Road

When I was learning to drive, my mom reminded me about the most important thing about driving: it is not something to take lightly, and it can take a person’s life. She told me that almost four years ago while I was driving with only my permit, and now, after having my license for two and a half years, I still think about it to this day.

Although driving is exciting and seems like an escape from people’s overbearing parents while they’re going through their teenage angst stage, a lot of people don’t understand the power they hold in their hands and the responsibility it comes with. One of those responsibilities is properly educating yourself. Driver education is extremely crucial in reducing the number of deaths because one of the only ways to do so is to learn the rules of the road. If someone doesn’t understand how to check their blind spots or pay extra attention when driving conditions are unsafe, how will they make sure they’re keeping themselves and other people safe, too? The best course of action is to put teenagers into a driver’s education program and make them practice driving for 100 hours. A text-book learning and hands-on experience is a great combination to ensure that young drivers know how to be safe. It allows young adults to learn the rules of the road and practice them, too.

I have never been in a car accident, but I have had a few close calls. A few days after I got my license, I was trying to turn left at a flashing yellow light, and I waited patiently for no cars coming the opposite way. After I started turning, a woman in the opposite left turning lane decided to cross the solid white line to go straight, specifically straight into me. I was unable to stop since I was in the middle of the intersection, but thankfully I was able to speed up and narrowly miss her. I may have only been driving by myself for two days, but I know for a fact that you aren’t allowed to cross solid white lines, especially when it puts everyone around you in danger.

The steps I can take to continue to be a safer driver are to practice the rules of the road and be overly cautious and aware of other drivers or pedestrians. One thing that I think is essential to being a safe driver is always to pay attention to the speed limit because it’s easy not to pay attention to how fast you’re going. For example, in the area I live in, the speed limit varies from 25 to 45 miles per hour, and each road has a different speed limit, so it can be very unclear when remembering the speed limit of every single one of them. It’s important to be overly cautious about how fast you’re going because it’s easier to put yourself and others in harm’s way when you can’t control your speed.

Another way to stay safe is to obey stop signs. I personally do not partake in this activity, but I see dozens of cars everyday fly through the four-way stop in my neighborhood. When I was little and running or biking around, drivers like them would terrify me and, quite plainly, make me fear for my life. I take every experience, every sighting, every word of advice into account when staying safe on the road, not only for myself but for others.