The importance of driving safely

The amount of deaths due to driving is astounding. At an average of 34,000 deaths every year, it is important to both new and experienced drivers to be aware of what they are doing and how they are driving. There is a reason everyone is supposed to take a driving’s test before you get your license. It is to make sure you know how to follow the rules, while driving. Just because you have your license does not make it acceptable to drive recklessly. It is necessary to everyone that when driving you are fully alert and following the rules of the road. I think that if a driver was to not be distracted, under the influence in any sense, and attentive that the number of deaths due to driving would decrease significantly.

I can attest that being a distracted driver is not a good thing. During my brother’s 5th grade year, he was hit by a car. The paramedics were shocked that he was ok and only broke his femur. The driver was on her phone, going almost 35 miles per hour. If she was going any faster it could have been a lot worse.

A person can be a better driver by making sure that they are in the best state to drive. What I mean by that is, there are no distractions, whether it be by putting your phone down and out of reach. As a teen I am fully aware of how fun it can be to blare your music and just jam out while driving, but that might not be the best thing to do while driving. Yes it is fun, but if you have your music loud, you may not hear an emergency vehicle coming and may cause an accident. In some rural areas, train tracks don’t have the flashing lights and bar that tells you a train is coming so you might miss the train horn and get hit by a train. Those are both two severe circumstances but they are both situations that are deadly and could happen. Also, if you are not in the right mental state to drive, maybe it would be best to get a ride from someone else instead of accidentally causing a car accident because you were focused on something else in your head. Another thing is to make sure that you are not over tired. As a driver you need to be fully alert at all times. You should feel like you are fighting to stay awake while driving, because you may not see a person walking or biking, or even if the car is stopping in front of you. As a passenger in a vehicle, you should do your best to make sure that your driver is alert and focused when driving. If it helps the driver, maybe take control of the radio, make sure there are no crazy distractions going on in the back seat, texting or answering the phone for them, etc. We all need to remember to stay focused and take the necessary precautions to make sure we stay safe and drive responsibly.

By: Rachel Travis