The Importance of Driving Safely

Many people do not know that driving is one of the most dangerous things anyone does on a day-to-day basis. People get into car crashes every 60 seconds and some never make it out. To say the least, it is super important to take driving seriously every time anyone gets behind the wheel. This means making sure the driver is 100% sober and coherent, everyone has their seatbelt on in the vehicle, the driver is going the speed limit, and obeying all the rules of the road. When any of these things are not taken seriously, someone could get seriously injured or even die. It is never worth it to take any chances when driving, even if you are just traveling five minutes away.

Driver education is necessary before going behind the wheel. If the driver is knowledgeable and understands the traffic laws, then they will be less likely to get into an accident. Therefore, it is important to take driving classes seriously. When people read the drivers handbook and attend traffic school, they are preparing themselves for situations they may face on the road and learning how to keep everyone safe. It is always important to be prepared and aware because in most cases people do not have much time to think as everything happens so fast. Being educated and following every rule on the road can ensure you do not end up hurting yourself or anyone else.

There are many obvious steps anyone can take to prevent injury or death when driving. One thing most people do without even noticing is put on their seatbelt. It seems like it has become a second nature to immediately grab for the seatbelt when getting in any vehicle, but there are some people that do not. Making sure to always wear a seatbelt will ensure that everyone will be secure and not go flying out of the windshield if there were to be an accident. Another way in which people can prevent death on the road is by using public transit. By using public transit there will be less cars on the road which would ideally bring down the likelihood of an accident, assuming the rules of the road are being followed. Along with using public transit, people can also do things like giving themselves a little extra time to leave their house. When having extra time for traffic, people are making sure they do not feel the need to speed to compensate for time. By wearing a seatbelt and going the speed limit the probability of dying in an accident will go down significantly. These are only some ways to put a stop to death on the road.

As a minor who has only been driving for about 2 years, I have not personally gotten into any car accidents. However, I do recall a time my sister was driving irresponsibly with me in the car. It was a gloomy day in Oakland, California and my sister and I had just left the hospital. She had a checkup of some sort and had wanted me to go with her for the ride because she did not like going that far by herself- the car ride was about an hour and a half. We took the highway home and there was not much traffic when we first got on. My sister had just picked up her phone to change the song on the radio when I decided to randomly read a street sign out loud. The lit-up sign read: “Traffic stopped ahead. Prepare to stop.” Right when I finished reading the sign, my sister looked up from her phone and slammed on the brakes just in time to not hit the stopped car in front of us. It was then, she sat in her seat with her jaw to the floor because she could imagine how bad of an accident we would have been in if we did not stop in time. My sister looked at me and said, “If you did not read that sign, I would not have stopped.” At this point, we were both shaking in our seats as if our life flashed before our eyes. It was easily one of scariest situations I’ve been in as it was a very close call. This day I learned that if you take your eyes off the road for one second things can change so fast. Driving is an action that must be taken seriously and should be done with no distractions, like a cell phone. The text message, phone call, or song can always wait.