Safe Driving

Safe Driving Essay

Thousands and thousands of people drive everyday no matter if it is down the street or across the nation. Driving is such a normal thing that we tend to forget that it truly is a blessing to make it from point A to point B safely. No one plans on being in a car crash yet everyone can do their own part to preventing them.

In an article, it states “Approximately 1.35 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,700 people lose their lives every day on the roads. An additional 20-50 million suffer non-fatal injuries, often resulting in long-term disabilities”. Most accidents are from individuals acting irresponsibly whether it is from speeding, texting, or drinking and driving. Once a person gets comfortable with driving, they feel as if they can do anything. However, this is the problem. If individuals start driving responsibly, deaths related to driving will be reduced. The three seconds you take your eyes off the road to text, or the extra drink you’ll have at that party, or the red light you will just speed through because your house is on the next street… can all take not only your life, but someone else’s too. If everyone could survive ten minutes without their phone or just wait for their turn at an intersection, so many lives wouldn’t be at risk. There is so much that just involves patience that could solve so many problems yet very few people have while driving.

A common phrase everyone has heard is, ‘Communication is key”. This is typically used in relationships but it can be applied to anything. In fact, communication to others on the road is key as well. There are so many accidents because an individual has their blinker on and doesnt turn or vice versa. Many rear end accidents may occur from an individual braking to turn but their brake lights dont work and/or their blinker isn’t on. Simple responsible acts like these that help communicate with others on the road can make driving both more smooth and safe.

Many irresponsible drivers tend to never know from the beginning the importance of safe and responsible driving. This is why it is important that everyone who is getting behind the wheel went through drivers education. In a study during 2017, it states, “Driver education is associated with a lower incidence of both crashes and convictions – reducing crashes by 4.3% and convictions by nearly 40%. Drivers education shows both the pros and cons to driving including the consequences to certain actions to help an individual not commit the action. Yet, some individuals feel as if they are so good at multitasking while driving and still commit poor actions. There are many consequences to irresponsible driving, for example, one of my family members has videoed herself drinking and driving with her own child in the car. By doing this, she is not only putting herself and others at risk, but her own child. She is now going through custody battles and these videos can be used against her to allow her own child to be taken from her.

Irresponsible driving is not worth anything. One poor choice no matter how big or little it is can have a huge impact on someone else. It is not just you on the road and no one deserves to get their life taken away because of someone else’s action. Remember, driving is not driving and texting, driving and eating, or driving and drinking. Driving is driving. That’s it. Be kind to yourself and others by being a responsible driver.