Keeping People Safe With Strong Driving Habits

Driving is one of the most mundane and recurrent tasks to the average American because many do it every day. It is extremely alarming that such a simple action is also potentially one of the deadliest things we can do in any given day. That is why Driver’s Education is essential to reducing the upsetting number of deaths due to driving. Most car accidents are a result of distracted driving, speeding, dangerous weather, and many other factors. Driver’s Education teaches drivers how to handle these situations, or avoid them altogether. If every driver on the road was equipped with the skills to drive safely from Driver’s Education, the number of deaths due to driving would definitely decrease drastically. This type of education would make our roads, and many people’s everyday lives, much safer.

There are many reasons that deaths due to driving occur, however, there are also many solutions to prevent these deaths. For example, one frequent cause of road accidents is speeding and reckless driving. This is especially common in teenagers and new drivers. They are often so excited to have earned the freedom to drive, that they take the dangers that come with it for granted. Requiring a driver’s safety course or a reckless driving simulation to earn a driver’s license would make new drivers aware of the very real dangers that coincide with getting behind the wheel. This could decrease the amount of reckless driving and speeding that comes from new drivers. Another common cause of accidents is inclement weather. Of course, sometimes driving in dangerous weather situations is unavoidable. However, there are ways to reduce the number of accidents due to weather. Teaching drivers to exert extreme caution through driver’s safety lessons can prepare any driver to prevent an accident in a dangerous weather situation. The largest cause of death due to driving is distracted driving. By doing anything other than driving while behind the wheel, the lives of the driver, passengers, and neighboring drivers are at a significantly higher risk. This includes texting, talking, eating, singing, and anything else that takes attention away from the road. To prevent distracted driving, we can support new laws that eliminate certain distractions, such as phones. We can also ask new drivers to take a pledge to not text and drive when receiving their license. Taking all of these small steps will not make our roads perfect, but they certainly have the potential to reduce one of the leading causes of death in our country today.

Personally, I have never been in a car accident. However, I have experienced the poor driving habits of others that were lucky to not have resulted in an accident. One instance in particular stuck with me. It was about a year or two ago, when my friend and I went out to get some ice cream together. We decided to head back home before finishing our ice cream. My friend was driving and eating at the same time. She had the windows all the way down and the music’s volume all the way up. She was singing, dancing, and eating all while driving us home. All I could think about the whole time was a warning my dad gave me when I had just gotten my driver’s license. He cautioned me that I would end up in a situation such as the one I was in, where my friend was driving recklessly. He said that even though it might be awkward, I needed to know how to handle that situation and tell my friend to drive more carefully. Luckily, we made it home safely, but I never stood up to my friend for her reckless behavior. However, that situation was certainly a learning experience because now I feel much more prepared to advise someone to drive safely.

There are many small steps that everyone can take to make themselves and those around them more responsible and safer on the road. One step that I can take, as I learned from my experience with my friend, is to inform others when they are being careless and to allow others to alert me when I make my own driving mistakes. I can also help others be safe on the road by aiding them while they are driving. For example, as a passenger, I can send a text for the driver so that they are not texting and driving. Finally, I can talk to my loved ones about helping each other eliminate distractions while driving.

Overall, driving accidents are something that occur too often in our country. They are usually very preventable with just a few basic safety skills. That is why Driver’s Education is so important. Teaching people to be alert and cautious on the road will prevent thousands of deaths every year. So, remember to take the extra steps to make sure you and your loved ones are safe behind the wheel.