Driving at its Best

Yonique Hill

8/1/20

Driver safety and education are so important to the survival of drivers today, especially when social media is at its’ prime. In the last 2 years, I have witnessed numerous accidents, most due to the fact that the drivers simply weren’t paying attention to the road. Others went a s far as to say that they just didn’t know what to do in the situation. I found this frustrating because as a fellow driver I felt as though, how could you not be paying attention to the road. But in reality, it’s easy to get distracted and it only takes an instant for an accident to occur. I should know as I was recently caught in an accident myself. 

I happened to be traveling back home and I ended up tapping a car I hadn’t seen while changing lanes and I ended up swerving off the road. Luckily both me and the other driver were unharmed in the incident. The accident was somewhat scary because I wasn’t completely sure of what to do as I swerved through the grass trying to avoid the steel railing and oncoming traffic. I had a few thoughts in my head, but the main one was a piece of advice my grandfather had given me a while back, way before I had ever started driving. He told me that if I ever found myself in a situation where I had very little control of my car. No matter what, to keep my eyes open and to never let go of the wheel and not to hit the gas or break, just let the car come to a stop on its own. Because of this little bit of advice, I was able to stay calm and keep control of myself and my car. This saved my life, reduced the damage to my car, and kept me from endangering the lives of anyone else. Without this advice I can’t say that I would’ve known what to do without it. I think that all drivers need to know things like this before they start driving. Especially before getting on the highway, where people swerve in and around you trying to speed to their destination. 

The highway is the most unpredictable place to be for any driver. Therefore, it should also be the place that drivers pay the most attention. In my experience with my accident, I learned that by teaching other drivers helpful tips like the ones my grandfather gave me it could save others from having a painful accident or even losing their lives. If drivers focus more on the roads and cars around them and less on the various distractions presented before them, this could reduce the number of deaths by car per year. Some solutions include informational classes about driving specifically oriented towards highways/ freeways, and driving classes/ sessions that simulate real traffic on and off the road. This will save both drivers and pedestrians alike.