Driving Deaths Are Avoidable

Driver
education is definitely important to reducing the number of driving
related deaths. The benefits of young drivers taking driver
education courses has been documented by insurance companies all over
the country. I will be honest; I never took drivers ed
classes. They were not offered as part of my school curriculum and I
had so many extracurricular activities that I did not have time for
classes outside of school. I do think I would have been more
prepared for my driving test had I taken drivers ed classes.

There
are several ways to reduce the number of deaths related to driving.
Obviously, drivers ed classes are probably easiest and most
readily accessible way. Young drivers are so in tune with video
games that when they get behind the wheel of a car, many think
driving is similar in real life to Mario Kart. This could not be
further from the truth. Eliminating distractions while driving is
another way to reduce automobile deaths. Distractions include
multiple passengers in the vehicle, loud music, and cell
phone/texting use.

When
I was in first grade, my mom was driving me to school. We were at a
traffic light which had turned green for us to proceed through the
intersection. As my mom pulled into the intersection, a car came
from the right side, through the red light hitting the front
passenger side of my mom’s minivan. First, I was shocked and then
I started to cry because I was not sure what had happened. Aside
from being impaired, the driver who hit us claimed he did not see the
red light because of sun glare. As a result of remembering this
incident, when I am at a traffic light or the heavily traveled 4-way
stop in our town, I always wait another 3 seconds after the light
turns green and look both ways before entering the intersection.

Aside
from waiting a few extra seconds to enter an intersection, the other
steps that can be taken to be a safer driver include putting my cell
phone away BEFORE I start driving, only having one or two passengers
in my car at a time, and turning the music down on my radio so it
isn’t blaring.