Focus and Spacial Awareness Save Lives

Focus and Spacial Awareness Save Lives

Before I even began my journey to driving I remember being beyond excited by the idea of having a license. I had always been relatively independent but being able to drive signified another level of freedom and growth. However, when I started drivers ed that buzzing excitement I had declined. It seemed like I was wasting so much time reading books and taking online courses talking about rules, some of which I already knew, when I could have been learning by doing. While my eagerness had good intentions, at the time I only saw driving as a fun growing up experience, instead of a privilege that can have permeate consequences. When you’re fifteen or sixteen years old and first starting to drive it can be really hard to have this foresight, which is why drivers ed is so important for everyone, especially young drivers.

It’s impossible for a new driver to already know all the needed information for safe driving. The information presented in drivers ed is often something a young driver would have never thought of before, and once aware of it that knowledge can truly save lives. Once I actually got behind the wheel after getting my learner’s permit I instantly gained more gratitude for what I learned in drivers ed. It was one less checkpoint that I had to think so actively about. Having basic rules of the road engrained in my mind freed up space to focus on other aspects of driving. Stressing the importance of focus while driving is a key point in preventing more deaths due to car accidents. As drivers become more confident behind the wheel they will often engage in distractions such as phone calls, texting, changing music, eating, or deep conversations; doing so can quickly turn a mode of transportation into a deadly weapon.

Another crucial point to emphasize to decrease car accidents is spacial awareness. As a teenager, I was traveling home from a trip to Las Vegas with my family. I was driving on long stretches of open freeways with everyone moving at high speeds. All of a sudden those long stretches of open road turned into lots of brake lights and cars stopped back to back. Luckily my mom had instilled in me the idea of leaving space especially on freeways where cars are traveling at high speeds. I had allowed myself plenty of room to stop without out hitting the car stopped in front of me. Unfortunately, the car behind me didn’t decide to leave as much space between us and rear-ended me. I was fortunate to be in a crash where the biggest damage was just cosmetics to the car and not the loss of life. However, the entire accident could have been avoided if the car behind me had more spacial awareness. Many other accidents occur because of a lack of space and don’t have as fortunate outcomes as mine did.

As an individual, I always drive with as much focus as possible so I can do all I can to avoid a collision. When driving with friends or family I’ve found being an active passenger to be very helpful. Of course, I don’t want to be distracting with backseat driving but when driving with more than one person in the car I’ve found there’s always another layer of distraction, such as friendly conversation. Because of this just being an extra pair of eyes for the driver can be tremendously helpful. Something as simple as checking the car’s blind spots before the driver merges or switches lanes can be life-saving.

Driving is a very fun privilege but drivers and passengers should remember lives can be lost due to reckless driving. Always prioritize safety above anything else when driving.