Safe Driving Starts with You

“Speed Thrills but also kills”

“Drinking and Driving don’t mix”

“Alert Today-Alive Tomorrow”

“Stop accidents before they stop you”

“Honk if anything falls off!”

You’ve probably heard these slogans or variations of them while learning driver safety or being out on the road. These sayings are so common and it seems so obvious why people need to abide by them. Safety remains a constant concern on the road, but most drivers don’t want to hear about it after getting their license. You’ve just spent months practicing in a vehicle and attending driver classes, so you think you might know a thing or two about safety. If that’s the case, the 34,000 average deaths per year from driving must be fiction? No, they’re not. Thousands of people die at the hands of driving, thinking they know the rules of safety. However, the truth behind the statistics reveals that we only know about safety. We don’t seem to practice it well. With everyday stressors and people rushing from place to place, you could find yourself forgetting to uphold some basic safety practices. Well, whether you’re running late or stuck in traffic, safety must always remain at the front of the wheel.

The most common culprits of reckless driving are alcohol, cell phones, speeding, etc. There are many ways to get distracted while driving, and once you’re distracted, the risk of reckless driving occurring increases dramatically. Numerous activities exist in which you can get easily distracted from driving. Take for instance, a woman driving to her son’s graduation. She’s running late, and she’s frantically trying to make it to the school. In normal conditions, she’d take time to observe her surroundings more while at the wheel, but because of a stressful situation, she’s distracted from practicing safety. In her rush, she manages to flip her car over on a slippery road. The story may sound far-fetched or rare, but it’s not. That story is about my mother who was on the way to my brother’s graduation. Even though I wasn’t in the car (or born at the time), the story still resonated with me when it was told to me. Lowering your defenses for even a few seconds risks more than it’s worth.

Now, I did not mention that story to embarrass my mother in any way. I actually consider her to be a good driver. She just happened to fall into the trap that many drivers do: distractions. When it comes down to one main reason driver deaths happen, I’d say it occurs from distraction that takes your eyes off the roads. It could range from texting your friend on the phone to trying to eat a Wendy’s burger with one hand. Distractions are constant when driving, but you can stop some from happening though. Do this by planning ahead before you drive and knowing what kind of driver you are. For example, if you’re a talkative person who could easily get distracted by having a buddy with you, limit the amount of passengers you have in the car. Or, silence your phone and/or hide your phone away from yourself to prevent texting while driving. Set your driver preferences and really think through what makes you most efficient while driving. Keeping these preferences in mind before going on a trip, sufficiently limits the distractions happening in the car.

Once, you get a good handle on what’s happening on the inside of the car, you need to understand what’s happening on the outside. Many different external distractions exist which are out of our control. For these types of distractions, the goal shouldn’t be to control the situation, but rather be alert of the situation and be ready to react. Always be aware of your surroundings even when the road presents the calmest conditions. Take note of where you’re going, any signs, other vehicles, etc. Knowing what the environment looks like allows you time to react and can take away the element of surprise. Essentially, this works as a “spot the difference” puzzle. Where you know what your surroundings are and can identify any significant differences that occur in the environment. Using this tactic myself, one day, I observed a “kids at play” sign on a residential road and also what looked to be a clear roadway. Within an instant, I noticed my surroundings change as a ball went bouncing into the street with a kid chasing after it. From using the A.R. (aware and react) tactic, I reacted quickly and accordingly, reducing speed greatly to allow the kid to get out the road. The best tool for safety on the road is your eyes, so make sure they always stay alert while behind the wheel. You need to be able to see to be able to react to certain situations, so make sure you adjust your driving accordingly when your line of sight is obstructed. Proceed with caution and slow down to be able to see what’s happening/changing in the environment. The A.R. tactic seems simple, but it’s something that could determine life or death when on the road.

Using your knowledge of your personal driver preferences help for internal car distractions, and using the A.R. Tactics helps with external distractions. The final key to tie these safety practices together is… YOU. After all, you are the one behind the wheel in the driver seat, so, logically, you would be a crucial factor to driver safety. To guarantee the best safe driving you can possibly do, ensure that you’re ready to drive, both physically and mentally. Physically, make sure you feel well and are able-bodied to drive. It’s probably already well known, but if you were to break your leg you wouldn’t be physically able to drive. Mentally, make sure you feel well and that your inner thoughts or emotions do not cloud your view. If you feel overwhelmed with emotions you should take time to calm down before driving because your mind is not focused on the road. For example, If you’ve had a really bad breakup and must drive home, wait a few moments to start driving. Your focus is probably on that heartache you’ve experienced, so you might not give full attention to the road. Once you’re physically and mentally good to drive, you can get on the road with safety in mind.

Safer driving starts with you. Being able to recognize if you should be on the road, knowing yourself as a driver, and being able to identify the changing environment you’re driving in all act as safety practices. Remembering these practices can be a defining factor in avoiding accidents.

Works Cited

Posted in Transportation Accidents and tagged by Ken Wilhelm. “Common Causes of Reckless Driving.” New York Personal Injury Lawyers, 24 Mar. 2015, https://www.work4youlaw.com/blog/common-causes-of-reckless-driving/#:~:text=Frequent%20causes%20of%20reckless%20driving,common%20causes%20of%20reckless%20driving.

Scholarship – Dmvedu.org. https://www.dmvedu.org/scholarship/.