The Importance of Responsible Driving

The Importance of Responsible Driving

With my mother dealing with three car accidents, I have personally seen the toll a car accident can have on a person. Proper drivers ed could’ve prevented these car accidents and many more, and that is why this prompt is so important to me. From distracted driving to stress, there are many factors that may contribute to a car accident. However, many of these causes can be avoided by taking the steps to learn about them.

Drivers ed teaches future generations how to be safe on the road, and this education is crucial to avoiding an accident. Although driving can never be 100% safe, there would be much lower death rates if everyone learned how to prevent a car accident and took the proper precautions. Thousands of people die every year from drunk driving, distracted driving, running red lights, etc. Many deaths from driving could be prevented with proper steps. With 6 million deaths on the road every year, drivers ed is essential to reducing driver-related deaths.

Distraction is a major cause of car accidents. This can include texting or calling, multitasking, and being under stress. Some precautions to take is to eliminate these distractions, such as checking notifications and setting a phone aside. If the phone is going off with alerts, it may be a good idea to silence it if the driver isn’t used to dealing with distractions yet. In today’s busy world, many of us can also find ourselves multitasking, but this can be dangerous on the road. Even one glance away from the road might catch the driver off guard and alter or end their life forever. It’s important to get everything needed before driving and ensuring that nothing falls under the driver’s feet and in the way of the brakes. Although some stress is normal, too much stress can affect the driver’s focus and ability to drive safely. It’s important to evaluate a current emotional state, whether it’s lack of sleep, irritability, sadness, or anything extremely stressful, it’s better to find alternate ways to get to your destination and may mean having someone else drive. It may not seem like it, but stress or sleep deprivation can greatly affect us and sometimes it’s best to play it safe and not drive.

I haven’t been in serious car accident before, but I have seen the effects it has had on my mother. Hearing her stories has made me cautious and point out when I notice friends or family not driving safely, such as not buckling their seatbelt or glancing at a text. In order to become a better and safer driver, I can recognize these common mistakes and take the time to make sure I am driving responsibly.