Driver Education Safety Decreases Deaths

Distracted driving, driving under the influence, and ignorance of driving laws all contribute to today’s fatality rates. Every driver should have to take a defensive driving class. They need to know how to handle a hydroplaning vehicle. They should be trained in how to handle black ice and slicker roads after it rains for the first time in a while. They should be taught what to do if their vehicle is spinning out, or how to safely dodge hazards without rolling the vehicle. Drivers need to be educated on how truly dangerous train tracks can be and how serious the warning signs are about an approaching train. I don’t believe many people realize how fast a train travels or that it can take over a mile for them to stop. I believe that all these steps in driver education would reduce the number of deaths.

Several steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. Never use your phone or mobile device while driving, no matter what, unless it is for calling 911 in an emergency. Whatever it is on your phone can wait, it is not worth your life or someone else. Do not drive when you are exhausted. A large number of accidents are caused by falling asleep behind the wheel. If you’re on a long trip with others rotate the driving among the responsible drivers. Never drive while intoxicated your judgment, depth perception, and vision are impaired. You not only put your life at risk but the lives of others as well. Take a defensive driving course. They teach you how to be better alert and expect the unexpected. Never try to beat a train across the tracts. The train will win and can not stop. Trains move too fast and are so heavy they can take a mile or more to stop. Pay attention to the road even on familiar routes. It is easy to pay less attention on routes you take often. If you are in a vehicle with someone whose driving makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, speak up. If possible ask them to let you out of the vehicle and call a trusted adult. Stay out of other’s blind spots! When passing someone don’t linger beside them where they may not be able to see you, especially for semis and large trucks. Always be on the lookout for motorcycles, bicyclists, and people walking along the road. If there is a car pulled over on the highway if you can move over a lane to allow them more safety space between fast-moving traffic. Lights and/or sirens from any emergency vehicles mean you need to pull as far to the right as possible, slowing down or stopping if possible.

When I was seven I experienced my first wreck. I was riding in my dad’s truck that was pulling a horse trailer. The weight in the trailer was not even and through the trailer of balance. This made the trailer sway, then the car swerved back and forth, eventually rolling a few times into the ditch. Thankfully no one was seriously injured and all the horses made a full recovery.

There are a few steps I can take to be a safe driver. Never using my phone while driving. Not listening to music so loud that it impairs my ability to concentrate. Being on the lookout for motorcycles, bicyclists, and people walking along the road. Never trying to race a train across a railroad with flashing lights or signal arms down.