Safety Behind the Wheel

Driver education is very important for those learning to drive. I remember taking the driver’s education course two times; the first time when I was fifteen to get my permit and then before I got my driver’s license. These courses taught me the basics of driving. I learned many things like turning on a yellow arrow, what a yield sign means, and merging onto highways. These small details help reduce accidents everyday. Learning, practicing, and maintaining safe driving is an important concept when it comes to reducing the number of driving related deaths.

Unfortunately, everyone doesn’t always follow safe driving techniques. Speeding and distracted driving are two dangers I see plenty of people participate in. Speeding puts pedestrians, other cars, and yourself in danger. It is more difficult to maneuver a vehicle at high speeds. Distracted driving can be texting while driving, eating, dancing to the song on your radio, or anything that causes you to take your eyes off the road. When you are not focused on your driving people can get hurt. These dangers put the driver, their passengers, and others at risk for injury or even death.

To prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries, there are a few things we can do. The public needs to be educated on the dangers of unsafe driving. Those who disobey traffic rules need to be punished. Driver’s need to follow driving rules and proper safety equipment needs to be used while operating motor vehicles.

As a driver I feel as if more people had information on the severity of speeding accidents less people would do it. Most people do not realize how serious driving is until they are in a crash or have someone they care about become a victim of someone else’s unsafe driving. More ads and information on television and social media could be helpful. And for violators of speeding, higher speeding fines and/or stricter requirements like your speed being tracked if you have multiple offenses could also persuade those drivers to slow down.

Today texting and driving is the most common type of driving distraction. We are always on our phones, and many people have a tendency to constantly check their phones even while drinking. Phones have become such a big part of our lives and hold so much information that we need daily. Keeping your phone out of reach or putting on ‘do not disturb’ is a way you can put the responsibility of safe driving in your own hands. When using apps for directions, make sure to use the hands free option where the app will speak to you.

Using a vehicle safely requires you to wear your seatbelt. It is an easy and important step to lessen the numbers of deaths in accidents. Drinking and driving is also a key danger to avoid at all costs. You could injure yourself and kill others. Driving under the influence should have more immediate consequences and they shouldn’t be given multiple chances to harm others. If you are going to operate a vehicle, you must take personal responsibility to reduce the number of deaths due to unsafe driving.

Unfortunately, I have seen some unsafe driving in my personal life. My friends can show traits of unsafe driving. Most of my close friends have problems with using their phones while driving. They try their best not to, but they are quick to pick up their phones to change a song or look up something on the internet. My father also shows traits of being an unsafe driver. He usually goes five to ten miles per hour over the speed limit. My mother is who I try to model when driving. She always goes the speed limit and follows every rule.

Personally, to be a safe driver, I try to always follow the traffic rules. Also I imagine the worst that could happen if I did drive irresponsibly. For example, where I live it’s very common for animals to run in the road at night and I would hate to hit anything. If I was speeding or distracted I wouldn’t be able to see these animals well. To keep from being distracted, I also try not to pick up my phone for anything. I will change a song from the controls on my steering wheel or answer a phone call using bluetooth. These don’t require me to take my eyes off the road. To reduce the need to speed, I plan to leave about ten extra minutes from how long it will take me to get somewhere. This small practice allows me not to feel tempted to speed to get where i’m going on time and lets me feel relaxed at the wheel.

My younger brother is fifteen and recently got his learner’s permit and has started driving around the block with my mother or father in the car. As a family we try to make him aware of all the risks that come with unsafe driving. To set him up for success, I try to be the best driver possible so he has a good role model. Overall I feel like he will do just fine because he has the knowledge, he is practicing, and he cares about others.