The Golden Rule of Driving

Getting your license can be one of the most exciting times in your life. You are faced with all sorts of freedom but of course, that comes with responsibility. Driving can put you and those around you at risk if you are not educated on the safest ways to perform this task. In order for most teens to become responsible drivers, they must take a driver education course. This course is a great way to learn how to protect not only yourself on the road but how to protect others. It’s easy to forget that many drivers act in unexpected and scary ways but driver education teaches you how to react in unusual situations. If you follow the golden rule of driving, your chances of being in an accident are bound to decrease. All you have to remember is to drive the way you want others to drive in order to stay safe.

The first thing that should be done to reduce fatality rates related to driving is to wear your seatbelt. A seatbelt will save your life and can also save the lives of those around you. An article published last year by the CDC states, “More than half (range: 51%-60%) of teens (13-19 years) and adults aged 20-44 years who died in crashes in 2018 were not buckled up at the time of the crash.” All those people could’ve been saved if they had just been buckled. If you choose not to wear a seatbelt you also put others at risk. Your flying limbs may cause an injury or fatality even worse than you would’ve expected.

The next thing you can do to maintain road safety is to understand all the signs in your car. This includes gas, oil, tire pressure, and other symbols on your dashboard. Driver education teaches you what all of the symbols mean and they are essential to taking care of your car. Suppose you get a warning that your tire pressure is low but you don’t know what the symbol means. You could get a flat tire and then have to pull over. If you pull over but know what the hazard button looks like, you put yourself and others at great risk when pulled over on the side of the road. Those driving around you are unaware that you have an emergency. Therefore, it is essential to understand all parts of your car and how you can take care of them.

Another important thing to do is to NEVER drive distracted. I have been in an accident because I was fiddling with the radio and failed to pay closer attention to the light. Luckily my accident was minor and no one was hurt, but even small accidents can be really scary. When you are driving you should never be on your phone, eating, putting on makeup, changing the radio station, or anything else that takes your attention away from the road. Surveys show that 1.6 million crashes happen per year due to texting and driving and even more occur from being distracted. This also includes heeding traffic signs. Pay attention to the speed limit and don’t be overwhelmed just because everyone else is going over the speed limit. While driving with my friends and using a GPS device, I’ve noticed that speeding hardly ever gets you where you want to go faster than a minute or two. That minute or two is not worth someone’s life. It’s much better to be safe rather than sorry. Something that helps me is to give myself more time to react. I do this by keeping a significant distance between myself and other drivers. If someone brakes unexpectedly I have more time to slow down and I very likely won’t rear-end them.

Becoming a better driver means making smart choices. These choices may feel small and insignificant, but they will become habits that you will use for the rest of your driving experience. These habits will save lives whether you know it or not. They will keep you safe in unexpected situations. Always remember that you are not the only driver on the road that may think it’s okay to run a light, drive distracted, ignore symbols on your dashboard, or not wear your seatbelt. If everyone around you thinks it’s acceptable to drive irresponsibly then the chance of an accident occurring becomes much higher. Remember the golden rule of driving is to drive the way you want others to drive in order to stay safe.