What it takes to be a safe driver.

My first accident I had been apart of was when I was five. My mom and I were on our way to pick my sister up from the movies when another car ran a red light causing a T-bone. This being the most significant, the results were of the ambulance arriving, both cars totaled, and my mom ending up in the hospital. My most recent accident dating to December of 2019 was when I was driving to work, and the car behind me sideswiped me, and the car oncoming to us. This being the most traumatic, I had just gotten my license that July before. I have also seen an accident occur a couple of times in front of me. Both situations scary and jaw-dropping.

While studies have shown that teenagers have the highest percentage of car accidents, keep in mind, with more experience, the better the driver. To prepare to be a safer driver/ better, make sure to complete at least the minimum hours your state requires you to drive when having your temps. Some safety precautions to keep in mind, check all your mirrors to help avoid collisions. Check to make sure no lights that aren’t supposed to be on are appearing on your dash: if appearing, find the safest and closest area where you can stop to get help. Some things to check on before heading off are not driving on any flat tires, driving with oil in your car, having enough gas for where you’re going, making sure your seat is where you want it to be, and most importantly, for safety, wearing your seatbelt.

Another important key to driving is Driver’s Ed. Those 24 hours of Driver’s Ed can teach us to stop before the white line, what drinking and driving can do, and prepare you for what could happen if you don’t obey the traffic laws. Research at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln found that students who had taken driver’s ed courses were considerably less likely to get a moving violation ticket by 7.9%. They had also found that those who had taken the course were less likely to get in a car crash: those that took the class with 11.1% opposed to those who hadn’t with 12.9%. Drivers Ed overall will better prepare you for what happens on the road.

To reduce the number of deaths due to car crashes, make sure your car is safe to drive, obey all traffic laws, including speed, railroad signals, bus stoppings, traffic signs, etc. Avoid distractions in your car, such as your phone and the radio. Make sure to pay attention at all times: don’t get distracted by something you already passed. Make smart decisions and know not to drink and drive as well as when too much is not safe to drive. Be a cautious driver; slow down when you see construction workers or any person on a busy street. Most importantly, be a defensive driver at all times. Checking ahead to see if it is a four-way stop or two way is always important. Constantly be checking all your mirrors, don’t focus so much on your one lane; if you do, you’ll miss out on what’s happening around you.