Safe Driving Practices

All it takes is one moment, one bad choice, to shift the course of one’s entire life. Driving a car is such a commonplace occurrence. On average an estimated 186 billion trips in a vehicle were taken in 2016. But something so simple as trying to get from one place to another can have deadly consequences. Acting irresponsibly in a moving vehicle can cause serious harm to yourself or innocent bystanders. No matter how young or old one is, having a proper understanding of car safety is an absolute necessity. All it takes is the people in communities around the country to dedicate just a little time to learn about driving practices that might just save their lives, and the lives of their peers.

Having a sufficient driver’s education is the first step in limiting the number of accident related deaths seen in this country. If more and more people take their driving courses seriously and comprehend that a car can also pose as a weapon, the roads would be much safer. Adults, teenagers, and senior citizens alike would understand it is simply not acceptable to drive while distracted or even worse, under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If everyone drove as if their family was on the road with them, I believe a lot of tragic accidents would be avoided.

While this may seem like a grotesque and morbid topic, there are some simple solutions. Intensive and extensive driver’s education courses would most definitely lead to a safer road for everyone to share. I also believe in reapplying to take a driver’s test again once an individual turns a certain age, just to ensure they understand the ever evolving rules of the road. Another precaution that could be taken are strictly enforced speeding checks. Driving at a speed much higher than the limit can lead to immeasurable damages and death. If more speeding checks had monetary consequences of going over, more people would take the speed limit seriously. One final solution that would make a difference would be a nationwide ad campaign targeting distracted driving. This campaign would exclude distractions such as device usage while on the road, but would focus on more rudimentary actions that can pose a large threat; like eating and drinking while behind the wheel. This campaign would highlight how dangerous these activities can be while inside a car, and would also encourage drivers to take advantage of drive thru parking lots and simply pulling over to enjoy any on the go meal.

Now aside from all the technical jargon and legislative ways safe driving can be enforced, there are many other ways that this topic can be solved: by reminding people that the possible loss of a loved one can cause insurmountable feelings of grief. It was June 2017 when my family received the call that my uncle was seriously injured in a hit and run by a drunk driver. He was 31 years old and had a baby on the way when he lost his life after an unsuccessful fight to stay alive after the accident. The driver was going double the speed limit in a residential area and was intoxicated three times the legal limit. One woman’s mistake of not calling a taxi for a ride home cost an entire life and forever altered the course of a family’s future. Because of that bad decision, a little boy will never meet his father and a fiancee will never get to finish planning a wedding. Driving safely should never be a choice one has to make, and a sufficient education of safe driving practices will ensure that it becomes the new norm.

I believe it is impossible to drive 100% without distractions. There can be roadside attractions, extraneous weather conditions, and even something as listening to music too loud can lead to only giving a portion of one’s attention to the road. But I think if all people, myself included, could make a vow to limit as many distractions as possible a difference could be made. Putting your phone in the center console, not eating in the car, making sure every passenger has their seatbelt on correctly before shifting the gear into drive, and making sure to watch and control the car’s speed are effective ways to practice safe diving. Even thawing more self confidence in one’s driving skills and driving defensively can prevent so many accidents and collisions. A car can be a useful and enjoyable mode of transportation, but as long as we try our best to drive safely in order to limit collisions so many people can go on to live positive and impactful lives that otherwise would have been lost to a reckless mistake.