Roadway Etiquette and Saving Lives

Marin Chester

10/23/2020

Driver Education Initiative

Roadway Etiquette and Saving Lives

The number of deaths on the road due to driving is a shockingly large number. In fact, every year about 34,000 people die in driving accidents in America! To work to reduce this number, driver’s education should be valued highly in a teen’s journey through driving. Driver’s education provides essential rules of the roadway, including: how to identify signs, how much space to put between yourself and another driver, and how to know when it is your turn at a busy intersection by the right-of-way rule. Without Driver’s Education, newer drivers can make careless mistakes while driving because they would not know any better. Without Driver’s Education, teens could cause devastating accidents just because they are not aware of what a good stopping distance is or when to give right-of-way to another driver. I am very grateful that I took Driver’s Education because it helped me learn general “roadway etiquette” when driving among others. Now, when I drive myself to my extracurriculars in the morning, I focus on maintaining a safe and respectable distance from the vehicle in front of me while being aware of the other drivers on the road.

Important steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths while driving. The main goal is to be aware of other drivers around you, as well as pedestrians. Staying aware while driving is key. Check your side and back mirrors with a quick glance every few moments to know your situation on the road. Is there a truck right behind you that would prove an obstacle if you stopped suddenly? Is there a car moving into your blind spot on the right-hand side of your car? Keeping observations of these small traffic movements can save you a costly and harmful accident. Turn the radio down and maybe even crack your windows to listen to cars around you. Having loud music on can be mentally distracting you as a driver; if “Total Eclipse of the Heart” comes on the channel I know I cannot restrain myself from singing aloud, which would result in impairment of my overall awareness to the road. When driving at night or on a day where the road is difficult to see, keep a mental note in your head to be ready if a pedestrian suddenly crosses the street. Always be a defensive and active driver, even on a bright, sunny day when driving down an open road. Anything could happen at any moment and your goal as a driver is to be prepared to deal with any obstacle in an efficient, non-harmful way.

I have personally witnessed members of my family driving irresponsibly on regular occasion. My dad always drives with a purpose to get somewhere and does not always pay respect to others on the road. He stops very close to the car in front of him regularly and goes 10 mph over the speed limit often. Sometimes if he is frustrated or stressed, he will speed to the point where I have to remind him to slow down because I feel unsafe. No one should ever feel unsafe in their own car with their own family. Because of my father’s habits on the road, I set a high expectation for myself to be a better driver on the road. I pay close attention to speed signs and regulate my speed accordingly, no matter how fast others want to go. Safety is more important than how fast you get to your destination. One accident that could be easily avoided by driving slower and with more awareness might cost thousands of dollars in human or vehicle repair. When I drive with passengers in the car, especially with my friends, I make sure to drive with even more care to “road etiquette” because I am responsible for my passengers. I would not be able to handle a situation where my driving error resulted in someone else’s harm, so I pay extra attention to my driving when hauling passengers. I focus on: using turn signals accordingly (even on roundabouts), maintaining a good speed on the road, and checking my mirrors for approaching vehicles. There are so many other ways to be observant and prepared on the road that help other drivers as well. Keeping a level head and showing a clear intent of my driving can aid other drivers’ performances while driving. My goal is to be the best driver I can possibly be, which will inevitably keep other teens like me safer when driving and reduce the number of careless accidents on the roadway.