Drive with Care

Drive with Care

Careless driving is a serious offense. The corollaries of negligent driving can lead to punishment in the form of a ticket, fine or even worse depending upon the gravity of the offense. Careless driving is tantamount to a crime in many situations.

Section 130 of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act defines the act of careless driving; Every person is guilty of the offense of driving carelessly who drives a vehicle or streetcar on a freeway without due care and intention or reasonable consideration for the persons using the highway.

It is very important to understand that driving is a privilege and not a right, still, we see that negligent driving has become a very common practice these days, for example failing to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, failing to check mirrors when reversing or changing directions, making risky or unsafe passing, running a red light or stop sign, driving aggressively on freeways, driving too fast in residential areas, street racing and stunt driving, using cell phones while driving or breaking the traffic laws. Such acts of careless driving pose a significant amount of risk to the person behind the wheels himself and the community.

It is pertinent to mention here that if a person is an irresponsible or reckless driver and causes serious injuries or death to others, he/she must face serious consequences and even imprisonment. Many people get injured or killed every year in Canada as a result of ‘driving under influence’ (DUI) which is the crime of driving, operating or being impaired by alcohol or other drugs including recreational drugs or those described by physicians to a level that renders the driver incapable of operating a vehicle safely. The crime of DUI also includes driving under the influence of any narcotics such as marijuana. Therefore, people should never drive when physically or mentally impaired. Drunk and driving in Ontario may lead to a huge fine and even imprisonment. Other penalties for such driving include impounding of vehicle and suspension of driver’s license for at least one year. The drunk drivers are much more responsible for road accidents because their ability to drive and vision decreases considerably.

Another big distraction while driving is using cellphones. There is no good reason to be taking on a cell phone while driving. This is extremely distracting. While driving always put the cell phone away and make sure it is turned off so that you do not have the urge to answer if it rings. If you need to make a call, wait until you are parked before doing so. While driving always keep your eyes on the road. The car is not the place for multitasking. So, people should not do things like brushing their hair or shaving while driving. Never change CD’s while driving a vehicle. Listening to music while driving is a big distraction. If people still need to listen to music, they should use the radio which should already pre-set at their favorite station. People must always follow the rules of the road. It is very crucial to follow speed limits. If someone is approaching a stop sign or red-light, he must start slowing down long before he gets to it, so that he can come to complete stop at the stop line. People must always obey all traffic signs.

Driving too fast can lead to accidents because it becomes hard to slow down or stop in case of an emergency. Always signal while turning, stopping, or changing lanes and keep a safe distance. The vehicle must be safe to drive on the streets and highways. It is also important that when a driver has passengers with him, their safety should be his top priority. Sometimes there is a construction zone on the route which people use daily for going to work, or school, etc. In such a situation it is better to find an alternate route to avoid the risk of an accident because debris from the construction can cause tire blowouts. It is also very important that the vehicle is parked legally and not rolling on a hill or blocking traffic or pedestrians.

Teen drivers are also responsible for may accidents. Such teen drivers must practice a responsible attitude about driving. The new drivers must limit the number of passengers while driving. It is pertinent to mention here that the risk of a fatal crash in three lines higher at nighttime than in the day. It is better to avoid driving at night especially for the new drivers. It is not out of place to mention here that new drivers should abstain from driving in fast-moving and high volumes of traffic until they have enough driving experienced under the supervision of an experienced driver. It is also a good idea to avoid driving in bad weather conditions.

It is also important to drive a safe vehicle, people should avoid driving small cars, trucks, or sport utility vehicles since such vehicles are a major cause of deaths due to road accidents. It is also very important to learn that if a driver is under the age of 18 years, he is accountable to his parent or guardian who had to cover all expenses in case he gets involved in a road accident that may cause property damage, injuries, or deaths.

In the end, we can conclude that there are myriad reasons behind deaths due to negligent driving, but these can be mitigated by following traffic rules and other suggestions mentioned in this essay.