Driving with safety in mind

In order to guarantee safety on the road, driver education is vital for ensuring drivers know how to function their vehicle and on the road itself. Within driver education, learners will be taught how to operate their vehicle, stay safe on the roads, recognize the meaning of signs and symbols and general road laws to abide by. This alone proves the importance of driver education as many people will use the roads including drivers, pedestrians, cyclists etc. Improper driver education will result in an increase of deaths caused by poor and substandard driving or use of the road. A new driver who has received satisfactory driver education will recognize symbols that may warn vehicles of certain zones where speed must be reduced. An example of this, is a school zone. This zone will have signs that warn drivers of a school nearby. Having a school nearby means children may be running around and at risk of being dangerously close to vehicles on the road. When a driver sees this sign, they should possess the knowledge to know that they need to reduce the speed they are driving at. This reduction of speed enables any children or pedestrians who may be crossing or around the road to become aware a vehicle is approaching. Regarding the first part of this essay, this scenario proves the importance of thorough driver education as the correct knowledge can evidently reduce the number of deaths caused by driving.

There are many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths that might happen due to driving. An example would be regarding the elderly. Elderly people will usually have the most experience when driving, although due to their age, aspects of their health and abilities may deteriorate. Regarding their road seniority, laws and road safety measures/precautions may be updated that elderly drivers are not aware of. This is when refresher courses become useful, these courses will keep every driver updated on the road safety precautions, laws, and general information to further ensure the safety of everyone on the road. On the other hand, as people get older their general health and abilities decrease. This may mean that an elderly drivers response times are slow which is a huge risk when driving. Occasionally, a driver in front may have to stop abruptly due to someone walking out in the road or the traffic lights turning red. In this scenario, if an elderly driver, who has a slow response time, is behind the stopping car it can cause a collision. This may unfortunately lead to injuries or possibly the deaths of people in either car involved in the crash. Furthermore, a step to be taken would be for the driver to decelerate when in traffic or near a car in front. This can greatly impact and decrease the chances of an accident happening and deaths occurring. Another step that regards the road itself is keeping signs, zones and road markings updated and visible. There are often circumstances where an important road sign or symbol is painted on the floor, after time the paint will deteriorate becoming increasingly less visible. If these important symbols and signs do not get fixed, it can cause accidents on the road due to people not being aware of a stop sign or no U-turns being allowed.

Unfortunately, I have witnessed many family members and friends being reckless when driving. Personally, I find being in the car with someone who does not take efficient safety precautions when driving, to be extremely nerve-wracking. These drivers are not just putting themselves and their passengers lives at risk, they are also threatening the lives of others using the road. Luckily, I have not been in a car accident myself although occasionally, there have been close calls. A common reason as to why crashes almost happen is the act of driving whilst using a cell phone. Doing this is extremely dangerous as it completely takes the drivers attention from the road. For example, this can increase the possibility of a vehicle hitting a pedestrian crossing the road because their attention is not on driving the car safely, consequently they are unable to take the necessary actions to prevent an accident. Although I have not been in the car at the times of these collisions, my family members and friends have been involved in accidents. Commonly, these accidents are caused by another car rear-ending the car my family member or friend was driving or going over the speed limit. In the worst-case scenario, this can cause deaths or life-threatening injuries.

Steps I would take to be a better and safer driver are to abide by the road laws, be observant and focused when driving, ensure my vehicle is free of faults, decrease distractions inside the car, and take every safety precaution possible. Safety precautions inside the car can include the use of a seat belt. Seat belts will constrict if a vehicle jolts forward or moves harshly, this will decrease the possibilities of life-threatening injuries occurring. For example, in a front facing collision, a seat belt will avoid the possibility of the driver or side passenger being violently thrown through the windshield as well as avoid backseat passengers from harshly colliding with anything in front of them. Regarding the vehicle, certifying the adequate condition of the car is important as any faults can cause a collision whilst on the road. This may be seen through a car breaking down in a scenario where the traffic is bustling and fast-paced. Due to the car breaking down and inevitably coming to a stop, it is almost guaranteed to cause a collision. In the United Kingdom, car owners are required to take their car in for regular service checks, this is called an “M.O.T”. These M.O.T’s assess the vehicle for road suitability, if any faults are discovered with the car it will fail the M.O.T test and become illegal to drive on the road.

To help others become safer drivers on the road, I would offer knowledge about my experience as well as help them with any terminology or general information they are struggling to understand. Excellent driver education is important as it creates a mutual understanding amongst all vehicle users of how the road operates efficiently. A method that drivers will extremely benefit from is gaining experience and exposing them to all possible scenarios they may encounter when driving independently. This can include, driving in a school zone, on the motor way, navigating exits and entry points and becoming accustomed the language of the road.

In conclusion, driver education is tremendously important to anyone operating a vehicle on the road as it ensures the safety of drivers as well as other road users. It also guarantees the prevention of deaths caused by driving.