How to be Safe Behind the Wheel

HONK! SCREEEECH! BOOM! Does that sound familiar to you? We’ve all heard and witnessed car accidents happen various moments throughout our lives. It’s pretty normalized for us, given that car fatalities have been occurring since 1891. That is the year where the world’s first automobile accident was recorded, in Ohio City, Ohio. In the year of 1920, school districts across the U.S. began providing instruction for traffic safety. Today, many Americans believe that the driver’s ed curriculum is ‘outdated”, and states have stopped funding driver’s education due to low participation and budget cuts. But the truth of the matter is that driver’s education is important in many ways to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving.

Why is it important you may ask? It teaches one better judgement and provides detailed information about the road, signs, and various speed limits posted depending on the area you’re in. Driver’s education is highly informative and helpful as opposed to going straight to behind-the-wheel lessons. In that case, putting on a blindfold as well won’t make much of a difference. It’s vital that we all know what to expect before turning on the vehicle and driving onto the road. For example, if you decide not to participate in driver’s education, then you may not know that you have to be much more cautious behind the wheel on the first day of rain. Nearly 50% of weather- related car crashes happen during rainfall. In the curriculum, they’ll tell you how the roads are very slippery on the first day of rain and the tires don’t get very much grip onto the road. Therefore, your brakes won’t stop on time comparing to when they stop on a regular day. These are important details know, and there are many more instances of driving altering which are all covered in Driver’s education.

I live in a home just off of a street called Mission Boulevard, one of the biggest main roads in Hayward, California extending from San Leandro 20 miles down to Fremont. It’s very common to hear collisions happening every now and then, especially at night time. I also run into daily detours on the way home from school, usually because traffic plus an accident happening on Mission Boulevard or other areas around it. One specific time I can recall actually being in an accident was about 2 years ago before Covid. It was during daily rush hour, and I was on my way to an orthodontist appointment. My grandma was driving. We had just come to a sudden stop, becoming stuck in traffic just less than a mile away from the dental office, and someone rear ended us. My head fell back on the head rest pretty hard and I had a headache for a few hours, but thankfully my grandma and everyone else were fine. It was crazy to see how big of an impact small collisions make even when the dent is small. It takes hundreds of dollars’ worth of fixing the vehicle and also going to the doctor from injury. There are ways to prevent rear ending someone as well as preventing yourself from being rear ended, which is covered in driver’s education. As said in the beginning, witnessing and hearing about car fatalities is normalized in society, but now is time to unnormalize it. Being in a car accident results in big sacrifices, such as your financial state, health, transportation and most importantly even your life depending on the fatality.

Now is time to prevent ourselves from being in a deadly situation of a car crash. First thing is to make sure to drive with a clear mind. Those who drive angry tend to drive more aggressively and speed, increasing their chances of getting into a crash and also receiving a citation. So, it’s important to make sure you are in a good mood and able to focus on the road. Meditation is a good tactic to use for this. Also, avoid using substances before being behind the wheel. Driving under the influence has many hazards and makes one’s judgement poor. A Venezuelan girl named Jacqueline Saburido was burned alive by a drunk driver in 1999. She received burns on 60% of her body and her face became disfigured. Fortunately, she survived, but underwent over 100 operations and medical bills totaling up to 5 million dollars. This is what driving under the influence does. Therefore, stay off the drugs and alcohol at least 5 hours before driving IF you are 21 or older. Otherwise stay off substances completely.

While driving, continuously scan the road ahead of you so that you can apply the brakes or stop in advanced if a collision happens or the person in front of you brakes suddenly. Keep an eye out for pedestrians crossing the road and even on the side just in case they jaywalk. Keep driving at a reasonable speed according to the conditions of the area and weather. For example, main roads usually have a 35-35 speed limit posted in California, and in residential areas it’s 25 mph. It’s wise not to go at a 40-mile speed in a residential area, due to more stop signs and narrower roads. Keep a safe distance between yourself and other cars, to be better ready for the unexpected. You should be able to see the entire rear of the car including the wheels and the pavement. If someone is driving too close to you, specifically referred to as ‘tailgating’, switch lanes, if possible, to let them by and revert back to the lane when it’s safe. There are many more tips and safety precautions to learn about within driving, so let’s encourage ourselves and others to enroll in driver’s safety programs so that we all can feel and be safe on the road.