Importance of Driving

Driving is a serious topic, and everybody needs to take it more seriously. There are so many unnecessary deaths that can be prevented. If more people have a better education of driving, then the number of deaths could go down significantly. If we teach others about the importance of driving now, then it can create good habits and will make the roads safer for everyone. Taking a driver’s education class is valuable and will teach the young drivers’ basic rules of traffic laws, driving skills, and being aware of the distraction that are too common amongst any drivers.

There are several steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. These steps are easy to follow and can save so many lives if people were to just follow them. These steps include, staying off your phone, obeying traffic laws, following the speed limit, not having your music too loud, telling those that are with you in the car to not be too noisy, and staying away from alcohol and drugs if you are going to be behind the wheel. Young drivers need to focus on these steps because if they develop good habits now, as they grow older, they will continue to be better drivers. Driving is just like sports, when you practice good habits, you will become better.

Before I took drivers ed, I couldn’t tell if someone was being a safe driver because I didn’t know what to look for. But after learning about all the traffic laws and distractions that can occur, I realized there were some people I did not feel safe driving with. I have seen many of my friends or family members driving irresponsibly for different reasons. Some reasons that I have noticed are they are running late, they think it’s “cool” to speed, they aren’t paying attention to the speed limit, and they are on their phone. Speeding is a common reason that leads to most accidents. Even if you are running late, you should never speed. Not only does it create a danger to the people in your car, but to other cars as well. Another time I have been nervous with a driver was because she thought it was funny to mess around while she was driving. We turned the corner way too fast, and the car almost tipped. After I got out of the car, I made a promise to myself that I would always follow the traffic rules and take driving more seriously, so I don’t put others’ lives in danger. When I was younger, me and my mom got in an accident on the freeway that could have been prevented if the person Infront of us was paying attention. My mom was obeying the traffic laws and was driving behind this person until all the sudden he slams on his brakes because he wasn’t looking at the car Infront of him. Just because of the small distraction that he had, it caused him to bump the car Infront, and for me and my mom to run into him. Luckily nobody was injured, but you might not get that lucky every time.

I have been driving for a couple of years now and have developed some good habits and have stopped myself from creating bad habits. I have found it harder to ignore my phone if it’s sitting on my lap. So as soon as I get in the car, I put it in the cup holder facing the opposite direction. This helps me not even look at my notifications, so I don’t have a temptation to respond. After hearing stories about texting and driving and the sad consequences it brings, I have decided I don’t want to put other people in danger just because of one distraction. If I am the passenger, I help remind the driver to put their phone away and will help text someone for them if they need me too. Some other steps I follow are obeying the traffic laws and following the speed limit. When I am running behind, I find it hard for myself to not speed. But after hearing about accidents caused by speeding, I have decided to leave early and give myself extra time just in case of traffic or problems I run into. It is always a better option to follow the speed limit and be late if you have too, than to possibly take someone’s life and live with the consequences. As I have had people in the back seat of my car, I know how stressful and distracting they can be if they are too noisy. Because of the experiences that I have had, I make sure every time I get into another car, I am not a distraction for them. I understand how important following the rules on the road is and do my best to follow them. I also help those around me to follow them so the numbers of death related to driving can be reduced.