Paving the Way to Safety

In the matter of seconds, your life is changed forever. It was just minutes ago when you last saw your loved one and now you are on the phone with the police and receiving confirmation that you will never see the person that is so important to you ever again. What was the cause of this tragedy? Well, an inattentive driver crashed into them on their way home. It is crucial for the safety of drivers as well as their passengers, pedestrians trying to get to a destination, and frankly all others to be focused, alert, and know the regulations and meaning of all signs while driving.

Through Driver’s education this goal can be achieved. If those who operate vehicles were to have taken these courses, they would be well informed on the different regulations and laws that apply while driving, the meaning of all types of street signs, what to do in specific driving scenarios, and more. This will lead to more confident, informed drivers and ultimately result in less accidents and deaths.

Anybody who wished to drive on the roads should take driver’s education courses. This will allow them to know what to do in any situation and keep them, their loved ones, and all others on the roads safe from preventable accidents.

To reduce the number of driving related deaths, the first step would be to make driver’s education courses a requirement for all drivers. To make sure that all can complete these courses and make them more accessible, there should be availability in any language needed, the courses should be offered both in person and online, and should be free of cost so all people can afford to take them.

Another step that can be taken to decrease deaths on the road would be to pass stricter driving legislation. The use of phones to text, call, or do anything else should be prohibited in all states. A regulation to ban drivers from performing other activities, such as eating, using noise-cancelling headphones, and more should be outlawed. If a driver is doing anything that could distract them and is outside of focusing on their surroundings, they should be met with the consequence of high fines or even jail in some cases. This is extremely irresponsible and can cost the lives of others as well as their own. If somebody is caught doing these things, they should receive a punishment to meet the severity of their actions.

I have never been in a car accident; however, I have been the passenger to an inattentive, irresponsible driver. When I was a child, I was in the car with my aunt who was driving while using Facebook at stop lights and sometimes a bit after the light turned green. I felt frightened and, in that moment, knew that I must use my voice to help put an end to unsafe driving practices. Her actions are often justified by others, claiming that they are at stop lights so the use of a cell phone will not distract them. However, this is far from true. At a driver’s safety meeting, I heard that it takes the average person seventeen seconds to focus completely after getting distracted by their phone while driving. One second can often make a huge difference in preventing life threatening accidents, so seventeen seconds cannot be disregarded.

As a driver, I can turn off my phone while behind the wheel. I have a rule where I turn off my phone and put it in the backseat while I drive. That way, I will not get distracted by any notifications that pop up or sounds that come from my phone. I will also not be tempted in any situation to reach for my phone as it is inaccessible. In addition, I ensure that passengers always wear a seatbelt. Seatbelts are crucial to people’s safety and can save lives in the event of a car accident.

One step I am going to take to become a better driver is to strengthen my reflexes. I have quick reflexes already and can react and adjust to situations in a fast manner. However, you can never be too safe when it comes to driving and performing small exercises to strengthen reflexes daily will help me feel more confident while operating a vehicle.

A way I help people stay safe while driving is, I will remind them to practice safe driving and take all the necessary precautions. Whenever I am in the car with others, I remind everybody to wear their seatbelt. If they do not listen at first, I will continue to remind them until they finally buckle themselves in. This quickly gets annoying to some of those I am with, but I simply do not care because it always works and is for everybody’s safety, which is most important when in a vehicle.

Another way I help others become a better driver is I remind drivers to stay focused and eliminate distractions. I do this by reminding them that talking on the phone, even if you have your eyes on the road, can restrict focus and is unsafe to do while driving. This is often successful and causes drivers to hang up the phone. Another way I preach safe driving habits is if I am in the car with somebody who picks something up while driving, I will require them to give it to me so they can keep both hands on the wheel and give the road their undivided attention. I have also found this to work in producing safer driving habits.

Together, we can all make roads around the world safer. We must use our voices and demand stricter driving regulations, laws, and punishments. When in a vehicle, people’s lives become very fragile and are in the hands of the person who is driving them as well as all other drivers within proximity. We all must recognize this and act when we notice unsafe driving habits. It is okay to be annoying with it as well, as bothering people is much better than jeopardizing people’s safety, as well as your own. Trust me, it is worth it and when drivers begin to practice safer habits while on the road, they will thank you.