Driving Safely

Year to year, there has been an increasing number of deaths due to car accidents. Currently, car accidents, especially on the highway, are one of the top reasons for high fatality rates. While it is exciting to begin driving, being a driver has its own implications and serious consequences. Being a driver can be dangerous if rules are not abided by and caution is not taken.

One of the most important ways to reduce the deaths due to car accidents is mandatory driver education courses. Within the driver education curriculum, incoming or new drivers are able to acquire the necessary knowledge that is demanded to become a safe and well-educated driver. Most importantly, the rules and regulations to obtain good driving habits are taught through the driver education courses. It gives new drivers a solid foundation to begin getting accustomed and well-educated of the necessary knowledge for a driver. For example, new drivers learn the rules embodied within traffic intersections, steps on how to make turns, and the importance of keeping a watch for pedestrians. Although, these lessons are just to name a few. There are so many benefits of drivers education courses as it teaches the right and safe way to act on the road. As many incoming drivers obtain that knowledge from taking the course, they are able to begin driving by already knowing the basic yet important rules of driving a vehicle. As a result, the more educated drivers are on the road, then the less car accidents that result. Without these courses, many drivers will not be able to build upon a strong foundation of knowledge, thus leading to a significantly higher death rate for deaths as a result of driving.

When discussing the ways to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, there are important steps drivers may take to avoid the serious accidents from car crashes. Firstly, it is important to drive with caution. Keeping a close eye all around you is an important skill necessary to be a safe driver. Anything could go wrong with the blink of an eye, so drivers need to have a 360 degree view of the road and their surroundings to foresee tragic and unpleasant events. Furthermore, distractions are one of the biggest reasons that lead to serious incidents. So, it is important to give your full attention and focus while driving. For example, applying makeup or texting while driving are bad driving habits. This is because you are multitasking, thus your focus and attention is divided among these two actions, giving driving less than 100 percent of your attention. Many times people are distracted by their actions that they hit a car they don’t notice or sometimes a pedestrian on the street. As a result, fatality rates due to driving significantly increases. Driving is not a game and should not be taken lightly. It requires full attention and focus. By taking the necessary precautions and developing important skill sets, one can acquire good driving skills and keep themselves and others on the road safe.

While I have thankfully never experienced a car accident myself, I have seen many scary situations take place in front of my eyes on the road, with a few involving my family members. As a driver education course teaches new learners, left turns are more difficult to make than right turns because of the need to yield to oncoming traffic when the light is green, without the green arrow. Before making a left turn, one must look both ways to make sure there is no incoming traffic flowing from both directions. This, of course, requires patience and a good focus. Certainly, there are some drivers who are impatient, angry, and dangerous drivers. I have witnessed this while in a car with my cousin. With his impatient characteristic while driving, he tends to pass through when it is not his right of way. In one instance, he made a left turn while there was an incoming car approaching. It was a very dangerous move since there were millimeters left to crash into one another. This event was a very important lesson for me when I began learning to drive because I wanted to acquire good driving habits. Also, I learned that it is important to always be patient because the desire to save a few seconds by driving fast could lead to a loss of a lifetime. The few seconds that incentivizes one to behave in such a dangerous way is definitely not worth it compared to one’s life. In order to avoid tragic experiences related to car accidents, one must develop the necessary skills necessary to become a safe driver.

For the safety of everyone, it is beneficial to learn and abide by important steps to developing good driving habits. Firstly, one should always keep a safe distance between the car in front of them in order to avoid and be prepared for any unexpected events. Furthermore, it is important to watch for pedestrians on the road crossing as they may go unnoticed especially during the night and can lead to fatal injuries. This situation is mainly evident when making a right turn and yielding to pedestrians is not a caution taken, thus contributing to the dangers of driving. If everyone abides by the safety rules and regulations of the road, the reduction in the number of deaths as a result of driving could be seen. I hope to encourage others to develop and frequently use safe driving habits to save many lives.