Safe Driving

When reducing the number of deaths via car accidents, it is important to get all distractions and set them aside while driving. That includes your phone as well. There are many options in your settings that your phone can automatically know when you are driving, and shut off all access to apps until you are stopped. That helps with not answering texts, not checking your facebook, or anything else that could be distracting and lead to a car accident. Using your phone while driving increases the chance of crashing by 5x the amount. The most important thing before even getting your license is taking the drivers education class and knowing the risks of driving while distracted.

When you are in drivers ed, they teach you the basics of driving. They teach you what all the buttons mean, how to accelerate correctly, what gears there are, and most importantly, how to be safe while driving. They teach you how to properly park without hitting another, how to park on a hill, to avoid going into the ditch, and how to respond if you start to go into the ditch, or hit another vehicle. Making sure you know all of those things before you get your license is key. If not, you might risk getting into more accidents and not knowing what to do.

Personally, I went into the ditch about a year ago. It was winter and I hit black ice, and went into the ditch on the side of the road. I was fine, and my car was fine, but only because I knew how to react. I didn’t slam on the brakes, instead I pumped the brakes, while holding on to the steering wheel so I didn’t turn as much. I also just let my foot off the gas and tried to stay in control of the wheel. Other than that, I have not been into an accident.

The same thing happened to my brother, he hit black ice, and instead of hitting the van near him, he tried to be in control of the wheel and was able to turn enough to not hit that van. He saved his car from getting damaged, but also the van from being hit. I look up to my brother because he is a good driver. He knows how to handle the situation whenever he might get into an accident. I have seen a few friends also get into accidents. One of my friends’ sisters got in a bad accident and ended up with a broken neck. She wasn’t driving, but they were driving in the middle of the night, and tried to avoid hitting a deer and hit a pole instead.

It is also very important to know how many deaths happen from drunk drivers. There are many people I have heard stories about who got killed because a drunk driver hit them. If you are intoxicated, do not get behind the wheel. No matter how you might think you feel, call an uber. Call a friend and ask them to pick you up. It is way better to have to explain to your parents why you were drunk, than to hit another person while driving and kill them. Or, even get killed yourself because you were not careful and decided to drive. One story I remember is a mother and her daughter, they were on the way home, and got hit head on by a drunk driver. The driver was fine, but he ended up killing both the mother and daughter. They were innocent, they were just trying to get home. That is the type of thing a drunk driver would be regretting the rest of their life. Do not get behind the wheel. It is much better to call someone to pick you up, than to try and drive home.

To become a better driver, it is important to fully listen and engage in drivers ed. I learned a lot from that class, and hopefully others do too. It is so important to know everything that might happen, and how to handle it before even getting your license. One big tip I learned is to ask questions. Ask lots of questions if you have them. While you are learning to drive, make sure you know where everything is, and what everything means. You do not want to be the cause of some sort of crash that might injure or kill someone else. Make sure, if you go out and have a drink, to have someone set aside to take you home, have a designated driver, or get an uber. It is so important to make sure you know all of this important information before you get your license.