Driving Safe is the Only Way

Now more than ever before, young drivers are getting behind the wheel with added distraction that could impair their driving. Driver education is immensely important to teach new drivers how to focus their energy and attention solely on the road and their surroundings rather than picking up their phone to snapchat a friend or answer a text. Personally, in my drivers ed course, the instructor shared many stories of teenagers who died because they thought they could handle driving 100 mph on the highway or that responding to a text was perfectly fine as long as they glanced up at the road every once in a while. These anecdotes scared me and made me realize that just because I’m young doesn’t mean I’m invincible. I think that driver education classes sharing the harsh reality of what can happen if you aren’t mindful is crucial to teaching young drivers that at some point their actions could have consequences. Even if they usually wear their seatbelt or they only rarely text a friend while they’re behind the wheel, it only takes one instance for your diverted attention to cost you your life or the life of someone else.

There is an incredibly wide range of steps that can be taken to prevent needless deaths related to driving. The first step is simply education. New drivers need to know the rules of the road and how to conduct themselves in emergency situations. For example, during one of my first driving lessons, rain was coming down pretty heavily and resulted in a large puddle at the bottom of a hill. Even though I slowed down, a truck on the other side of the road did not and sent a flood of water to come crashing over my car. My driving instructor had to take the wheel and when the water cleared I noticed that the car was missing one of its windshield wipers. Had it not been for my instructor, I wouldn’t have known how to navigate this situation and most likely would have ended up crashing into another vehicle driving alongside me. One of the other important steps is practice. Consistent practice makes consistent improvement in performance. If student drivers are made to take the time to practice, they become more aware of how to react and are better equipped to handle potentially dangerous situations. By enforcing practice, the numbers of deaths caused by inexperienced drivers will continue to drop.

Safe driving is important to me, especially as I watched my older sister drive. I genuinely feared driving with her because I felt as though she didn’t consider the implications of what her reckless driving could be. At one point, her driving almost resulted in a truck colliding directly into the side of the car where I was sitting. I live with the knowledge that I could have been seriously injured or killed if the truck driver hadn’t been paying attention and failed to slam on his brakes. After learning to drive on my own, I am much more cognizant of the choices others make while driving and am wary of getting into the car while someone else is behind the wheel. I feel much more confident in selecting who I chose to drive with because they have to value their own life as well as mine if they are going to be navigating the vehicle.

There is no doubt that I could always be improving as a driver. This comes with experience and knowing your limitations. I will always monitor my speed and look out for those around me. Being aware of my surroundings is definitely an area that I could improve upon. To become a safer driver, this would come to play with recognizing when my blood sugar is too low to drive. As a diabetic, I have to be aware if my blood sugar is low because it can impair my decision making. I would advocate for others as well to always check in with themselves to see if they are feeling well enough to drive. Whether you are tired or emotionally upset, these conditions can impair your ability to make well informed decisions while driving and may just cost you your life. Even though a text to your friend might seem urgent or a trip to the store when you’re tired may seem necessary, nothing is ever more important than making sure you will return safely and alive from your trip.