The Good Driver

The Good Driver

We can all agree that a car is an amazing mechanic. They are comfortable and provide quick transport. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states about 38,000 people have died in car crashes yearly. To help reduce these numbers it all comes down to completing the important, driver’s education. Driver’s education is so vital especially if someone ever wants to get behind the wheel. It provides the fundamentals of driving and teaches us how to properly operate a vehicle. They teach valuable defensive driving maneuvers. They teach road rules such as road signs, speed limits, and their penalties. Drivers ed helps drivers gain the knowledge to be able to foresee hazards and any dangerous situations. That being said, drivers education does their best to serve their purpose and make us the good drivers we should aspire to be.

In order to be less involved in crashes or traffic violations a driver needs to always adjust their seat, mirrors, putting on a seatbelt, and getting any climate controls ready if there are any. gear. Keep in check of your tires, headlights, brakes, and windshield. In addition to that, drivers should insist that all passengers have their seatbelts on too. Wear your prescription glasses if you are required to wear them. Focus on the road at all times avoiding all types of distractions. Meaning there can’t be any multitasking. Phones are a huge distraction to us and can be a temptation. Therefore it is advised to place electronics out of reach or to be put on “drivers mode.” If the call or message is very urgent, it is best to get off the road and put the car into a complete stop. This way you are not a danger to others. Drive at a controllable speed. Follow traffic signals. Always yield the intersection, even if you don’t have to. Don’t follow too closely and leave a 10 sec gap between the car in front of you. Make sure you are healthy both physically and mentally before driving. Do not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. When going out, call an Uber or plan how you are going to get home ahead of time. Pack an emergency kit with useful mechanic tools to have in your car just in case. We as drivers should also expect the unexpected. Be predictable, we can just prepare.

Car crashes don’t necessarily pertain to a certain age of people and can happen to just anybody. Although I have not been in an accident, I have experienced sorrow for some students from my high school who were in a car crash. It was a very difficult time to accept the fact that one’s life can be taken away so quickly. In order to advocate teen safety driving, my school partnered with drivers ed organizations to host assemblies to go over the importance of driving. Being knowledgeable of driving, will not only help us learn to save our own lives but most importantly of others too.