Drive Safe!

He needed to cross the street at the stop sign. He had pressed the button so that the lights would flicker on the “must stop for pedestrians when lights are on”. I came to a slow stop on my beautiful Tuesday morning. My head slammed forward. I was shaking. The runner that I stopped for was blown away that he caused what he just saw. My car had just been rear ended by the person behind me because she was messing with the radio controls.

When I first started driving, my parents and my driver’s ed teacher taught me right away how important it is to not be distracted as I drive. My driver’s ed teacher would make me put my phone in the trunk. My parents would make me hand my phone over to them. But once I was all alone in my car, it was my decision to make. I always tell my friends and family “drive safe!” when they get in their cars to drive and it was my choice to practice what I had always preached. And that decision was to be against distracted driving. However, I never understood why they made such a huge deal when it is doable and I had seen other people do it. But as soon as it affected me, I understood the weight of it. I replay the wreck in my mind when I pass that stop sign: thinking what could have been if I had someone in my back seat, if I had not had my seatbelt on, or if she would have just looked up instead of being distracted. Everyone must learn not only the smart way to drive safely, but also why it is so important to do so.

Drivers education educated me on how to be a safe driver. I was taught all of the basics of how to drive from my parents but when a teacher sat down and taught me everything that I needed to know about driving, it changed the game. In fact, a company did a study on the effects of taking drivers education or learning about it. Driver education is associated with a lower incidence of crashes by 4.3% and convictions by 40%. When someone takes the drivers ed program, they not only score higher on their driving test but also can remember the rules of the road much better than someone that did not learn from the program. Driver education naturally reduces the number of deaths caused by driving just because the rules of the road are taught properly.

To keep everyone safe, everyone needs to do their part. Distracted driving can be so easily prevented. Drivers need to put their phone in the passenger or back seat so that they do not risk any chance or temptation of picking it up to text or talk. Most phones now have a setting where they can be on “do not disturb” whenever they can sense that someone is driving. Setting the air to the temperature and speed that is wanted before the car is put in drive can help other drivers stay safe. Changing the radio to the station that is the drivers favorite to listen to before they leave to go somewhere. Staying away from distracted driving is an act of discipline, too. If someone must change the radio station or air conditioning, do so at a red light, or at a stop sign when no one else is around. When someone else is in the car, the driver should be very careful not to let the other people distract them whether that could be through talking, showing them something on their phone, or anything else. Instead, the passengers should be consulted to text for the driver or change all of the controls so that the driver is not risking anything. Drivers should also always keep an eye on their speed to make sure that they are never out of control if another driver is in the scene. It is important to check other lanes, brake very slowly, and turn the car under control. The seatbelt should always be on the driver and all of their passengers These are just the basics. Further driver’s education is so important so that every driver can recognize that no text, no song, no air conditioning is worth putting someone else’s life in danger.

Unfortunately, there are always going to be irresponsible drivers on the roads. That is why it is so important for every driver to do their part to protect themselves and as many others as possible. I knew that just telling my close friends and family to “drive safe” was kind but was not doing enough. When I was a sophomore in high school, just learning how to drive, I started a no texting and driving campaign throughout my school to acknowledge the dangers of texting and driving. I started a petition against texting and driving, hung up posters, posted on social media, and announced facts about distracted driving on the school announcements each day. While I cannot sit in everyone’s car and make sure that they are being responsible drivers, I can help educate them on the effects of their driving and put it in their head so that they are convicted whenever they go to pick up their phone or mess with the controls as they drive. Many people told me that it pushed them to look further into the importance of smart and safe driving.

Driving is too serious for it to be careless. We must recognize the weight of how serious car accidents are, do our part, and encourage others to do theirs. It is time to buckle up and say yes to driving smart and drive safe.