The Keys to safety

Driving a vehicle is an experience that is liberating. The privilege to be free and travel is such an exhilarating experience that most everyone enjoys it. However, it is also a very dangerous passion. Many people die from car accidents, and countless others are injured by them. Many people make the journey even more dangerous by becoming distracted drivers or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Just like how keys are needed to start a vehicle, there should be some mental keys that everyone is holding onto before they start to drive.

The first key is the be properly educated. The drivers ed test is not very hard and can be passed without knowing all of the guidelines. Simple things such as “do not follow too closely” are forgotten every day. The proper way to follow behind somebody is the be x amount of car lengths behind the person in front of you, where x is the speed you are going divided by 10, so that way you can have enough reaction time to stop or avoid a collision. Simple rules like that are ignored every day, so it is up to the safe drivers to be knowledgable on them and follow them every day.

The best way to reduce injuries and fatalities is to not be an impaired driver. The second key is to always be attentive when you drive. That means no texting while driving, and no driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Most accidents are caused because a driver was not paying attention to the road and did something they were not intending on doing. Driving while drunk is also just as bad of a habit because a driver can still be attentive, but will be unable to react in time due to the handicap that comes with being under the influence. The safest way to drive is to always be alert, never drive under any kind of influence, and never let anything distract you from the road because that is when you are putting yourself and others at risk.

The final key is to not be a reckless driver. That may sound like a repetition but it is indeed a new category. Just because a driver is driving without distractions and with attentiveness does not mean that they are a perfect driver. Some people only make the mistake of driving too fast, or just past the speed limit. But that too is a dangerous mistake. Taking unnecessary risks such as speeding or cutting corners can greatly increase the chances of an accident happening. The safest way to drive is to be slow, or at least under the speed limit. That way you are not putting yourself or others at risk.

I say you should follow these keys because I have been in an accident before. I wasn’t texting, or driving under any influence. Nor was I speeding even a little bit. I was driving at night without my bright lights on, and I did not notice that a tree had fallen into the road until it was too late. After I drove into the downed tree branches, (the top of the tree was in the road the trunk was still on the side) I had to wait for someone to come and get me out because my car was stuck. Soon after a semi-truck came through and didn’t see the tree either, but because my lights were on he was able to narrowly avoid me, just scrapping the butt of my car and bending the door backward on its hinge. I would have died if the truck driver had hit me dead on, and I am thankful that I was not hurt in either part of the accident. I learned that my reaction time is not as good as I thought and that I need to be a more attentive driver than I thought I was being.

Driving is dangerous but still fun. You don’t have to be reckless to have fun driving. Keep safe and always try to follow some of the keys to safety; Keep a proper education about driving, don’t drive while distracted or under any influence, and don’t go out of your way to be a reckless driver. If you follow these guidelines you will have not only a fun experience driving, but also a safe one.