In the Driver’s Seat

“In The Driver’s Seat”

What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving? I believe the importance of driver’s education to reduce driving related fatalities is to teach individual drivers how fragile life is. You are not just affecting yourself when you get behind the wheel of an automobile, and you are taking on the responsibility of not harming yourself or other commuters and pedestrians. The effects of careless driving means that you could kill or maim someone else, this could lead to you being imprisoned. This could forever change their family and friends lives! This means that you could forever change your family and friends lives! It’s your responsibility to be a safe driver.

What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving? Before you put your vehicle in gear, put on your seat belt. Make sure everyone else in the vehicle you are operating puts on their seat belt. It’s not a democracy, and it’s your responsibility as the operator. Put your phone away, do not text and drive, and keep your hands on the wheel and your attention on the road. Put the radio on the station you are going to listen on and don’t station surf while the vehicle is in motion. Use clear turn signals; don’t turn on your right turn signal and then turn left across three lanes of traffic! If someone gets mad and starts a road rage incident, do not participate. If you have to get off at the next exit or turn at the next intersection do so safely, and do not gesture back or make eye contact with the aggressor.

Have you ever had and experience of being in a car accident or have you seen your friends or family members driving irresponsibly? I have been in two accidents in my life. One is when my mom pulled out into a blind intersection and an impatient driver sped around a stopped firetruck. my mom was able to hit the brakes in time to keep us from being t-boned, and the other driver swerved but still clipped the front of my mom’s car and ended up skidding into the curb on the other side of the street when he over corrected. He was fined for reckless driving. The other time was when I was making my standard transmission pick up hop up and down by popping the clutch in and out trying to show off for some girls on a cruising strip. I ended up rear ending a stopped driver. I was very fortunate that it didn’t cause any major damage to anyone or our vehicles. Although the gentleman was rightfully angry with my stupidity, he forgave me and we parted ways without involving any authorities. I didn’t make my truck hop any more after that. I have witnessed other family members and friends driving unsafely and it has cost them, in both fines and high insurance premiums from time to time. One of my friends had to blow in a tube for a while because he had gotten to many DUI’s. He told me that his date that he had met on line didn’t find that very attractive, so he didn’t get a second date.

What steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road? One of the things that I can do to be a better and safer driver is to make sure that before I get behind the wheel, I pray a hedge of protection around me. I ask the Lord to take me where I am going safely. I try to keep a calm attitude, and if someone else speeds around me because I’m not doing 50 in a 40, I think to myself, I guess they hit the snooze button one to many times. I count to three and look both ways before starting through a green light. You can tell if someone is slowing down or leaning forward and gripping that steering wheel to beat the yellow light. I have experienced road rage on more than one occasion and it has sometimes meant that I have to exit the highway or drive two or three miles out of my way to get away and avoid potentially becoming a traffic statistic. If I ignore a phone call and someone calls right back, I pull into a parking lot to check who is being insistent. In case it is a true emergency, I want to be able to respond to the emergency not become one. My main goal is to keep myself and anyone in a vehicle with me safe. I would encourage everyone to remember, you love someone, someone loves you, the other people around you in traffic loves others, and others love them.

In conclusion I raise my voice to say: DON’T BE A DRIVING RELATED STATISTIC!