The Importance of Safe Driving

The Importance of Safe Driving

Nearly 38,000 Americans lose their lives on the road each year. The causes of these car crashes range from drunk drivers, distracted driving, bad weather, and much more. Most of them are caused by kids ranging from 16 to 17 years old. In an attempt to limit the number of car crashes caused by kids, Amos Neyhart created the first high school driver’s ed course in 1934. The purpose of this course was to teach new drivers the proper knowledge and skills needed in order to keep themselves and others safe while driving.

As is taught in drivers ed, there are many steps that a person can take to ensure safety while driving. The first step that a driver should take is deciding whether or not they are in the condition to drive. For example, if a person is tired or intoxicated, they shouldn’t be on the road because they could potentially hurt themselves or somebody else. Next, a driver should ask themselves whether or not the weather outside is safe to drive in. If it is raining heavily, snowing hard, icy, or foggy, it probably isn’t very safe to drive unless there is an absolute need to. Once a driver makes the decision to drive, the first thing that they should do once they get in the car is put their seatbelt on and make sure that any passengers have their seatbelts fastened too. That way, if an inevitable car crash occurred, the passengers of the car would have a better chance of living.

Other than making sure they are in the condition to drive, the roads are clear, and their seatbelts are on, a person can also try to limit the number of distractions they encounter while driving. If music is being played, it should be low enough so that the driver can hear another car honk a warning, and the driver should never take their eyes off of the road to change a song. Passengers in the car should respect the driver’s need to focus and reduce their noise level while talking. The driver of the car should never eat while driving either because it can lead to them not paying attention well enough while going down the road. These little precautions could save a life.

While I have never personally been involved in a terrible car accident, one of my best friends growing up was. She was driving down the highway with another family when a semi driver who wasn’t paying attention smashed into their car. Thankfully, nobody died, but there were serious injuries. She and the rest of the family were rushed to the hospital where they went through many procedures as the doctors tried to remove the glass from their bodies and mend their broken bones. She is very lucky to be alive today. In order to prevent accidents like this from happening again, people need to be educated, which is why drivers ed is so important.