In The Driver’s Seat

In the Driver’s Seat

When we talk about safe driving, we are not only talking about a person’s safety behind the wheel, but the safety of others on and off the road. Safe driving is defined by google.com as “a driver who has one or fewer accidents or tickets over a period of three years.” We need more safe drivers in the world due to the number of accidents that occur in just one year. In fact, in America alone, there are over 5.25 million accidents. Three things that contribute to these accidents are lack of attention to the road, physically impaired due to drug or/and alcohol use and texting while driving.

A safe driver is a person who is focused on the road and is attentive and constantly aware of their surroundings. Safe driving is very important and it is everyone’s responsibility. If everyone practiced safe driving then there would be fewer casualties on the road, especially at intersections. The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) reported more than 94,800 car accidents occurred at intersections across the United States in 2011. Drivers seem to be more concerned with arriving late than not arriving at all.

Another way of performing unsafe driving is to drink and drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs or DUI for short. You can also be accused of driving while intoxicated or impaired (DWI). According to google, in 2019 there were 10,142 deaths due to drunk driving in the United States. My father has been in two accidents due to drinking and driving. Thankfully I still have him here, but I wish he had shown more responsibility. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported in 2019 the lowest number of deaths due to drunk-driving crashes. This number continues to decrease. We can thank the law that changed the legal drinking age to 21 for the number of deaths due to drunk-driving to be on the decline.

Drivers perform poorly behind the wheel when they are physically impaired. However, when this is partnered with texting and driving, a driver’s ability to react to the road decreases tremendously. There were over 10,000 lives lost in one year due to texting and driving; which could have been avoided. About 1.6 million people crash a year from texting and driving. Even if you are an experienced driver you shouldn’t text while operating a motor vehicle. It isn’t safe for you, your passengers, pedestrians, or other motorists. If you have a passenger with you, allow them to check your phone for you so that you don’t put your lives in jeopardy. If you don’t have a passenger with you then I would suggest that you pull over or wait until you arrive at your destination to check your phone. However, if the call is important or your job requires you to use your phone frequently, there is technology available that will allow you to utilize your phone handsfree.

Even though there are different ways to have an accident; lack of attention to the road, DWI or DUI, or texting behind the wheel there are easy ways to prevent these crashes. As responsible drivers, people need to start doing better for themselves and for others on the road. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) has a mission to end drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. As productive citizens, people should take driving seriously, and as a future motorist, I will continue to pray for the safety and traveling mercy for others as well as for myself.

7/30/2021