Drivers Education on Drivers Safety

There is a multitude of reasons why driver education is essential in reducing deaths as a result of reckless driving and deaths relating to driving in general. But, what does it mean when it is said that driver’s education is essential in reducing the number of deaths? What steps can be taken in reducing the said deaths from reckless driving and other deaths relating to driving in general? What steps can I take to make myself a safer and better driver, as well as helping others become more responsible and safe drivers that way the road is a safer place for all. I have personally been in a car accident and have seen and known of my mother driving irresponsibly and recklessly.

Drivers education is crucial among new drivers and old alike. If drivers do not know how to drive or how to follow the traffic rules, the results can be catastrophic. Young drivers without driver’s education are 75 percent more likely to get a ticket than those who have, as well as 24 percent more likely to get involved in a fatal or injury accident, and 16 percent more likely to have an accident without injuries. Other incidents can have fatal consequences as well, such as not abiding the speed limit, not paying attention on the road, or consuming alcoholic beverages or illegal substances. Driver’s education can help prevent future deaths via automobiles as well as prevent car accidents. A driver wearing their seat belt, maintaining the proper speed limit, and having their car in the proper conditions can result in more safe driving. Driver’s education also teaches drivers when to put the blinkers on, how to make a proper stop at a specific distance, proper parking at a parking lot, and follow a proper speed limit on the road. Headlight use is also a very important step in driving safely. Using your lights during the day and night are very important in seeing objects and having higher levels of awareness. In fact, fog and poor vision is the cause of 33.4 percent of accidents, followed by overtaking at 21.2 percent, speeding, loss of control, and sleepiness at 11.1 percent, alcohol at 7.4 percent, and mechanical problems at 3.7 percent. Teaching individuals not to drive and use their cellular devices is also extremely important. A review on distracted driving found that 98% of their cases showed that cell phone use was linked with detrimental driving performance.

So, what steps can drivers and individuals take to reduce the number of deaths and injuries related to driving? The following is going to be a list of “Always” and “Nevers” or a do’s and don’ts list. Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol and always be on the side of caution, even one drink can compromise your ability to think and comprehend things clearly, which impairs your ability to drive safely. Also, always use a designated driver when you are under the influence. Always insist that all passengers wear their seatbelt everytime, every trip, no matter how short or long the trip will be or what seat they are sitting in, this reduces the risk of being injured as well as fatalities by almost 50%. Never text or call while driving. As a matter of fact, do not use your cell phone at all behind the wheel. If you feel that a call or text is that important, pull off of the road and safely park your vehicle. Never drive while you are tired, you are likely to doze off or fall asleep behind the wheel. Never fall prey to the belief that it won’t happen to you, make safety your only concern.

What steps can I take to make the road a safer place and myself a better driver? What steps can I take to help others be safer on the road as well? Well, I can follow everything on the dos and don’ts list in the last paragraph. Except for not drinking and driving as I can’t drink. I could put my phone in my backpack or in my glovebox so that there isn’t even a temptation to look at my phone while I am driving. I could educate others on the risks of drinking and driving, texting and driving, and not following the traffic laws. I could put up posters filled with artistic images representing statistics that appeal to my targeted audience, such as teens in a high school or adults in a community center.

I was in a car accident about a year ago due to my younger sister’s reckless driving speed on gravel. She was going well above the speed limit of 55 mph on gravel, going roughly 65 mph. She started to fishtail and slammed on the brakes, which is something that you do not want to do on gravel as you will lose control very quickly. We were thrown into the ditch at 55 mph, resulting in my seat belt latch breaking and my head slamming into the windshield, leaving spiderweb-like cracks all along the windshield, leaving me unconscious for roughly 3 minutes. I ended up being taken to the emergency room. Luckily all I had was a major concussion and neither of my siblings were harmed. They had to lift my car out of the ditch with a tractor as the incline was too steep to pull the car out. Luckily, my accident wasn’t nearly as bad as my mother’s. My mom was about 23 when she was side-swiped on the main highway in Hastings. When the other car hit my mom, it snapped the passenger tire rod, causing her to have no control over where the car was going. This resulted in her going through the Subway that she was driving past. Luckily no one was harmed in this accident. They later found out that the driver that hit my mom was driving drunk and the only thing that proved that it was not my mom’s fault was the Subway security cameras.

Therefore, driver education is a priority when it comes to reducing deaths as a result of reckless driving and deaths related to driving in general. There are multiple steps that can be taken in reducing the said deaths from reckless driving and other deaths relating to driving in general. Individuals can take multiple steps to make themselves better drivers, as well as educate others on becoming more responsible and safe drivers. There are multiple ways to reduce car accidents and make the road safer for all, drivers have to just take the extra steps.