Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Turning into oncoming traffic, unknowingly running red lights and stop signs, being rear-ended, hitting another car while turning into a parking lot, backing into a light pole, and being hit by a skidding vehicle. Each of these situations occurred with one of my close friends and family behind the wheel. Whether each driver was at fault or simply a victim of another’s reckless driving, the takeaway is the same. It does not matter if you have been driving for 5 years or 50, because every time someone gets into the driver’s seat they can easily become the victim or perpetrator of a dangerous accident. Luckily, there is a way to decrease the risks of driving. Driver education has the capacity to save many lives through its lasting impact on the skills of former students. Personally, driver education taught me important skills such as a safe technique for switching lanes and turning, intersection scanning techniques, the meanings of various warning lights in my car, and a procedure to repeat every time I get in the car to ensure that both the driver and vehicle are fully prepared for the road. These lessons are a crucial component of preventing deaths while driving. In addition, key steps that can be taken to minimize distractions and danger while driving include ensuring that one is fit to drive, checking for safe road conditions, avoiding loud music, and not eating while driving. To determine whether someone is fit to drive, one should check that they are not intoxicated, extremely emotional, or overly tired. Unsafe road conditions can be caused by abnormal weather patterns or physical obstructions, such as fallen trees or other objects. Furthermore, a person who is fully involved in promoting safe driving should review driving lessons regularly, ensure their vehicle is safe to drive, encourage new drivers to attend driver education and seasoned drivers to review their skills. Before driving, one should check that their vehicle is not damaged and that all features are functioning appropriately. In my own life, I have experienced irresponsible driving with both friends and family members. Their unsafe driving techniques included speeding and texting while driving. In the future, I would attempt to prevent this by offering to send their text for them, reminding them that no message is worth losing their life for, and telling them that any time potentially saved by speeding is not worth the added risk. When you are on the road as a driver, it is crucial to avoid multitasking and driving impaired. As a passenger, it is important to remind the driver to follow these safe driving practices, to serve as a second set of eyes, and to avoid pressuring or distracting them.