Accidents do not happen, they are caused!

The importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving is that it correctly presents practical knowledge and trainings for driving. Knowledge for driving can be informational such as the different functions within a car, signs on the road, the different lines and colors of lanes, and how to deal with certain situations when driving on the road. This informational knowledge develops a mental preparation for driving. However, it would not be useful if it is only understood as abstractions. It needs to be implemented into reality, and the practice of using it while driving is the best way to implement it. With that being said, repetition and practice are the most effective ways to learn almost anything, especially driving. The practice of driving applies the informational knowledge mentioned above; it allows the mind to stay focused, the eyes to see and observe the road when driving, and the hands and feet to control the vehicle while dealing with various situations. These driving practices can eventually become muscle memory, which can be a significant form of knowledge for driving. As a result, driver education provides a safe way of driving that reduces the number of deaths from car accidents in the long term for everyone.

There are several steps to be taken into consideration in order to prevent serious crashes. One of these steps is, without any doubt, always buckling up the seatbelt. Its purpose is to prevent the person in the vehicle from being ejected out of the vehicle in a crash, which is often deadly. It does not matter if it is the passenger or the driver; the purpose of the seatbelt serves all people and keeps them safe. Additionally, never drive when consuming alcohol, even if only a little bit is being consumed. The consumption of alcohol can lead to serious and deadly accidents. That is because alcohol reduces the cognitive capacity to make a proper judgment when driving. Other problems include losing clear vision of the road and the proactive reaction to situations on the road and causing crashes when one no longer has the ability to control the vehicle properly.

Furthermore, another piece of advice that reduces the number of deaths is to drive at a proper speed when on the road. Speeding or aggressive driving can be extremely deadly for both the driver and other drivers around that driver. It reduces the reaction time for a driver to respond to certain situations. It also causes a potential loss of control and steering due to high speed. Because of this, speeding or aggressive driving will create a severe crash when colliding with others and is just as deadly and dangerous as driving with alcohol consumption. As a result, taking and applying all the advice mentioned above into consideration will surely reduce the number of deaths in driving.

A relative of mine once experienced a tragic accident because of carelessness. It was at night when he was going uphill at full speed. What he could not see was another vehicle on the other side of the hill. As a result, his vehicle and the other vehicle crashed at the top of the hill. Not only that, but the fact that he did not wear a seatbelt ejected him out of the vehicle, leading him to end up in worse condition. Luckily, he was only hospitalized for some time because he could have lost his life. This was an example of not having a seatbelt on and speeding aggressively when driving. Additionally, my other relative, who is my uncle, also experienced a car accident. It was Friday, November 13, 1987 when he was just discharged shortly after dark from the Navy in Groton, Connecticut. He was heading to his home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on I-95, which only had three lanes at the time. He did not expect a large buck to be on the road when he came around a curve, and so he ran into it. His car spun in circles a couple of times until it hit the guardrail of the road. The buck ran off, but the car broke down. Luckily, he did not get any injury from that accident except the broken car. With these experiences shared in mind, they have encouraged and made me become more aware and attentive on the road when I’m driving.

With the accident and crash experiences mentioned above, there are more helpful guides and tips that can aid people in being safer drivers who will also make others around them become safer on the road. One of the guides is to drive at the speed that you are one hundred percent confident is safe. The reason is that signs on the road are useful and helpful when driving, but the road conditions can alter unpredictably. For example, it is harder to see the road with clear vision when driving at night compared to during the day. Because of that, I would drive at a steady and reasonable speed that will put me on the safe side regardless of what the speed limit is. Additionally, I should leave early for my destination so that there will be enough time for safe driving rather than rushing when driving. Even if I am late, I should still not rush to my destination because there is no sense in rushing to my own death. Furthermore, another guide that can help me drive safely is that if I see a vehicle showing signs of aggressive driving, I should slow down or pull over to avoid it. This basically helps me prevent crashes from occurring through the danger signs that are showing on the road. Not only should I focus on the danger signs, but I must also focus on the communication signs from other drivers such as signal lights and brake lights. Additionally, I must also communicate with other drivers through the use of the signs. For example, if I want to change lanes, I should have my signal on before the moment of changing the lane because that will allow others to have time to respond and not get shocked by me changing lanes.

Another guideline to consider is always keeping both hands on the steering wheel. Taking hands off the steering wheel, even just one hand, is dangerous because it can cause me to lose responsiveness to unexpected obstacles coming up ahead. The action includes grabbing some chips, drinking water, and changing the music while driving, not to mention texting with a phone. Using or texting with a phone would be even more dangerous compared to the distractive actions mentioned. This type of distraction would prevent me from fully controlling my vehicle and can cause me to drift into other lanes, thus causing an accident. This type of distraction can be considered as the most dangerous distraction in driving because it takes away the focus, the sight of the foreseeable obstacles, the hands off the steering wheel, and the proactive reasoning for driving decisions. As a result, one second of being distracted can affect the whole story of my life!