Safe Driving

Safe Driving

Driving in today’s society is such a mundane task that we normally do not think twice about it. We do not stop and think about what looking down at our phones or losing focus for a moment can do. No one ever thinks an accident will happen to them until it does. Those 34,000 people that die each year did not imagine that driving their car like every other day would lead to such a tragedy. It is easy for us to look at that statistic and think of how large and unfortunate of a number it is, but the reality is that each one of those numbers belonged to a family who misses them every day. In two different years, my grandmothers were one of those numbers. My family has been heavily impacted by car accidents, as well as many other families. Incidents like these are why driver education is so important in reducing accident-related deaths, and why we must take the steps needed to reduce these deaths. 

For new drivers to understand the dangers of driving they must be educated about the deaths that have occurred, and how accidents can happen to anyone. When new drivers are exposed to the reality of driving, they will drive safer and be more aware of the drivers around them. Driver education is so important because it shapes the way new drivers view driving. They must learn the responsibility they have, especially if they or their family has never experienced an accident. The number of deaths as a result of driving will decrease if every new driver is taught how crucial it is that they drive safely. 

For the number of driving-related deaths to decrease, certain steps must be taken. First of all, new drivers must be taught that they must wear a seatbelt. Just doing this simple task can save many lives. Drivers must also be focused on the road and drive the speed limit. The faster the speed a car is going, the more likely the passengers are to die in a car accident. If drivers are focused and drive slower then deaths will be less likely to occur. Not only should drivers focus on what they are doing, but they must also learn how to drive defensively and watch out for what other drivers are doing. If a car comes over the yellow line and a driver is paying them no attention, then they may crash into each other because the driver did not try to get out of the way. When all of these steps are taken, then the roads will be a much safer place. 

When I was in second grade, every Tuesday my Nana would pick me up from school. One ordinary Tuesday on our way home we got into a car accident. I was blessed to be able to survive, but my Nana was not as fortunate. This experience was horrifying for me, at such a young age, and it took a part of my family forever. When I was in sixth grade, my other grandmother was on the way home from the store one day when a drunk driver ran into her. He hit her as she was about to turn into her neighborhood, and she also did not live. Once again, a car accident took away an important member of my family. Life is so precious, and we cannot be negligent with being safe on the roads. Because of my first-hand experience on how dangerous cars can be, I understand how important it is to drive safely and try to make my peers aware of this as well. 

To be a safer and better driver I must always be aware of other drivers around me and not get distracted by things like the radio, my phone, or other passengers in the car. Nothing going on in my car is more important than the lives that are at risk when I drive. To help other drivers be safer on the road I can make sure that I am not being a distraction in any way. I can also offer to text for them, if needed, and remind them to stay focused on the road. The dangers of driving are real and we all must do our part to reduce the number of deaths that occur every year.