Safe Driving is the Key to Life

Safe Driving is the Key to Life

By: Ethan James

Every year, thousands of people are killed because drivers do not know the rules of the road. Not many people know what to do when a traffic light has red flashing lights on all of its signals. Many people also do not know how to treat a four-way intersection. Some people do not know that the reason a school bus flashes its lights is to let people know stay back and come to a complete stop. If drivers were more educated or refreshed on the lesser known rules every once in a while, they would know you treat flashing red lights as a stop sign. They would go through a four-way intersection by taking turns going. The order of who goes is based upon who was at the intersection first. They would know that you must stop when a bus flashes its lights, so that they do not accidentally run over kid crossing the street or a kid who is getting off the bus. Knowing these rules would save thousands of lives every year. To reduce the number of driving incidents, drivers should be retested every year. They should have to recertify every year to keep their license valid. They should be up to date on the newest traffic rules. Sometimes, the rules vary from state to state. If a person goes from one state to another, they should have only a short period of time in which they can drive in that state using another states driver’s license. I have experienced irresponsible driving. Coming back from football practice, two of my buddies decide it would be fun to race to each of their houses. They were flying down the road when suddenly a traffic light turned red. They were going so fast; they could not stop. They blew right through the traffic light. Fortunately for them, the oncoming traffic light had not turned green yet, so they were unharmed. Had the light changed a few seconds earlier, my buddies may not be alive today and neither would the people that would have hit them. I can be a better driver by not being a bystander. If is see guys who are trying to race, I should put a stop to that. I should not be complacent. I can help by at least trying to put a stop to purposeful dangerous driving. I can also be more aware of my surroundings. If everyone is more aware of their surroundings, it will be easier to avoid hazards as reaction time is quickened. I can also make sure that new drivers learn the proper traffic rules because most of the time they learn from their parents. Their parents may not know all the new rules or may have forgotten some of the older but still relevant rules. The way a person drives can be the difference between life or death for another person. Everyone must do their part and make sure they are driving responsibly.