Responsibility of Driving

Responsibility of Driving

Driving is a massive responsibility that can have dire consequences. With the CDC reporting 1.35 million deaths due to vehicles worldwide and accidents costing the economy of the world almost $2 trillion in damages, driving safely in an ever present need. Unfortunately, many people that drive are vastly undereducated in the rules and laws of driving. Here in the United States there are so many small written and unwritten rules that need to be followed inorder to maintain a safe roadway. If a person is not educated on these rules it could lead to accidents and possibly even death. Simply knowing the rules of yield signs or when you can or cannot turn right on a red light can truly save lives. I have known so many new drivers that end up in accidents simply because they were unaware of some of the rules and laws of driving. When I first started driving there were many things that I did not know that I needed to follow in order to avoid a crash. By simply having driver education courses and educating the public on both the small and large rules of the road death and damage could be reduced significantly.

The most common cause of accidents is distracted driving especially among younger generations. With such a high percentage distracted driving is the most important cause that needs to be reduced. Some steps that can be taken are making it illegal to text or use a device while driving. Even more than that mandating all new cars to have hands free technology the need to use a device would greatly be reduced and therefore so would distracted driving. Devices could automatically turn on do not disturb while a person is driving in order to further reduce distracted drivers.

While I have never experienced a car accident my father is a chiropractor, many of his patients are victims of a car accident. There are so many consequences that take a lot of time and money to fix. Even a minor accident can lead to back or next pain that has to be addressed. Many of his patients as well as people that I know that have been involved in accidents have to get time off from work or school which only puts them at an even greater disadvantage. Having talked with my father, car accidents cause so much harm and pain to everyone involved and some of the consequences last months and even years into the future.

Personally, I can improve on not using my phone at any time while I am driving. It is so easy to answer a text message or phone call not even thinking that it will lead to anything while driving yet far too often those simple actions lead to such horrible consequences. I can also improve on not being distracted by any other things such as the radio, passengers, or other outside events. Maintaining complete focus is so important, watching the other drivers is also key. I can only affect our own actions and by watching and being defensive while driving I can avoid situations that could cause accidents just because I was paying attention. While no one likes a back seat driver a helpful reminder is always beneficial if someone else is not obeying and rules of the road or is distracted. Also if someone must use a phone or such I can always offer to help them so they can stay focused on driving.