Behind the Wheel

At 15 years old the importance of driver’s education was minimally thought about and considered at best. Yes you read that right, all that me and my friends thought about was the freedom to go anywhere and everywhere once we got our license. (Not to mention that Fast and Furious Franchise had us all wanting to drive like Vin Diesel, yikes). All me and my fellow high school classmates had to do was pass the driving test and we were free. Now to be honest, the statistics on driver-related accidents and death were barely even mentioned. Now that I’m 32 years old, I wish I knew then what I know now. Being behind the wheel can have life and death consequences. Being a uniformed driver can yield in fatal results, major injuries to oneself and others, as well as negative remarks on permanent records.

The Importance of Drivers Education

Driver’s education is not only important but can be the difference between avoiding accidents and making the mistakes that cause said accidents. Driver’s training simply put, is designed for the intended purpose of giving drivers knowledge and skills to maintain safety while driving on the open roads. Receiving instructions and knowledge on defensive driving and different types of accidents can more than likely reduce the number of accidents that are made a year. Another reason Driver’s Ed. can be beneficial, is that the more driving a person does, the more it allows the driver to become comfortable in their car and more confident behind the wheel. For example, learning roads signs, different types of roads and terrains will better prepare someone on how to approach each situation accordingly.

Steps to Be Taken for Reduction of Death

For new drivers it is important to practice, practice, practice. Reading up and studying the laws for driving can save someone from making simple mistakes such as turning into oncoming traffic on a non-arrowed green light or speeding through a school/residential zone. Learning to recognize potential hazards such as adverse weather conditions, or other drivers driving erratically, and/or people trying to race etc. can be critical to avoiding accidents. A driver’s attitude can also make a difference when maintaining safe driving habits. For example, if someone is angry or sad and in a crying state, it is better not to be on the road as they are distracted and most likely have a high chance of driving unsafely. As obvious as this is going to sound, stay away from driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. For the year 2019, there were 10,142 people killed just in alcohol related crashes and accidents, that’s roughly one person dying every 52 minutes (NHTSA, 2019). Needless to say, all of those deaths were and are preventable.

Personal Experience

In early November of 2019, I caused an accident. Thankfully, no one was injured, and everyone was able to walk away. During some military training I had just pulled a 16-hour shift and was battling the flu. I had school in a little over an hour after my work shift and was completely exhausted. My classes were held on the other side of town and was in rush hour traffic (5:00pm rush hour to be exact). As I drove the maximum speed, I looked up, saw a green light and my eyes closed. I fell asleep. It seemed like not even a second later, when I opened my eyes again and the upcoming light had turned red, I slammed on my breaks, but it was to late and I couldn’t pullout of the way of the car in front of me. I had caused a 3-car accident and was shaken up. I’m very thankful that no one was hurt, but the truth be told, the accident was completely preventable. Sometimes we as people think we can do anything , rather that we are invincible, but the truth was, that if I had been going any faster, I could have killed the woman in front of me and even killed myself. I count my blessings every day, and now if I feel even the slightest bit tired, I pull over and rest. I also make sure to do my best to give myself enough time to arrive at my intended destination safely. What I’m really trying to say is, its okay to pull over and rest. You can’t get to your destination if your dead or in a bad accident, and as important as it is to get to your destination, it is also important that you remain alive and do so safely.

How to be a better and Safe Driver

There are several things someone can do to be a safe and effective driver. For starters, knowing your vehicle and how it drives can prevent unsafe driving. Questions one can ask themselves when checking their vehicle before driving are the following: does it have airbags and are they engaged? What is the center of gravity of the vehicle? (this is important when handling turns in a vehicle. The higher the center of gravity, the easier the vehicle will be to flip). are the tires aired up or do they not have enough air? If there are kids in the vehicle, are they in the correct seat and if they are small are they in the correct car or booster seats according to their weight and size? Are other key parts on the vehicle such as window wipers, headlights etc. in good working order? Are your vehicle fluids filled up? When going on long trips it is important to check the levels of your vehicles oil, coolant, window wash transmission fluid so as not to be stranded or possibly blow an engine or transmission.

Do not give in to road rage, again, Vin Diesel does look cool zipping in and out of both lanes of traffic, chasing after bad guys in a fit of passion, but driving angry gives way to irrational behavior and can lead to severe accidents. While the car in front of you may not be going the speed you prefer, what’s important is your safety and the safety of everyone driving around you. If you’re going on long trips, it can be highly beneficial to research the road and weather conditions, print a map of where you are going, just in case cell phones don’t work, and to let someone know where you’re going and what time they can expect your arrival.

Conclusion

Driver’s education is critical when learning how to drive and is not to be taken lightly. What’s more is that there is always something to be learned when driving especially with all the different factors such as terrains, weather conditions, animal factors etc. Safety is of course the number one priority when getting behind the wheel. Going home safely and getting to your destination at the end of the day is the goal. So, whether you are just starting out, or getting behind the wheel for the millionth time, the education for driving never stops. Be alert, be safe, and be aware.

References

NHTSA. (2019). Drunk Driving. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving