Behind the wheel

Stated by Aiden Wilson Tozer “The driver on the highway is safe not when He reads the

signs, but when He obeys them”. Streets, roads, and cars, all invented to improve transportation and expand the sites that we will see in our lifetimes. The idea was revolutionary and it built the foundation of the modern world. But even if the cars never broke down, other errors could happen. Deaths from automobiles are extremely high and we have to do something to prevent this. I believe we can improve overall safety and make sure to avoid habits that could ruin many lives.

What is the main reason that people are being injured by cars? Perhaps terrible road conditions, faulty vehicles, or the weather. Well according to “Wilson Kehoe Winingham, Common Causes of Car Accidents”, The main reason for accidents is not a broken down vehicle, or that weather, overall 94% of the time, pure human error is the main cause of people being put into coffins. Other factors like weather and faulty vehicles could also be a cause but mainly people are not paying attention. I would think that driving a three ton automobile would put people on edge while driving and stay focused.

Why do people lose focus, or don’t care when driving something that causes more deaths than people falling. Well it’s the same reason why skydivers are not scared when they jump and the same reason why a crime scene cleaner is not scared when they go to work, they’ve grown accustomed to it. Driving is essential to some people and they do it for hours each day, even if they were afraid they’ve done it so many times that it becomes normal. They forget the responsibility and safety of driving and this results in crashes. This is not always true though, they’re are also people who are just starting out and are learning how to drive.

Newer drivers can cause great accidents because of their inexperience. When you know how to drive, even if you lose focus for a second you’ll probably be fine because of your knowledge on how to drive. According to “ Centers of disease control and prevention, Teen Drivers and Passengers: Get the Facts”, during the first month of licensure crash risk is high, with the odds of newer drivers crashing is 50% more than people who are experienced. Not everyone knows how to control themselves when under pressure, driving for the first time is probably very intense and they think irrationally and cause injuries. But no matter how much experience they have, some people have very terrible habits or have bad addictions.

Habits and addictions that can put people in hospitals. Most accidents are caused by people but most of the time they’re not 100% when the accidents happen. They are either extremely fatigued, used certain substances, driving under the influence, or other things that cause people not to think straight. Some people could also just have terrible habits like driving over the speed limit and passing through red lights. Stated by “Wilson Kehoe Winingham, Common Causes of Car Accidents”, Drunk driving causes 29 deaths each day and there approximately 40% of car accidents occur at intersections when people pass red lights. They’re hundreds of reasons why people could get into accidents. But there are things we could do to improve that, learning certain habits and knowing how to be safe is probably the number one way to not get out of accidents.

How to stay safe when behind the wheel. It’s important to be cautious no matter how much experience someone could have, have your seatbelt on all the time, and think about others whenever in the driving seat. According to “Kids Health, the Keys to Defensive Driving”, some habits you could follow to improve your safety are think safety first, be aware of your surroundings, do not depend on other drivers, keep your speed down, separate risks, and cut out distractions. Also make sure to be thinking clear whenever driving and have a clear windshield in front to be able to see. Knowing how to drive very well and keeping with really good habits, will significantly decrease the odds of being in an accident, or at least being at fault for starting the accident.

Driving is a great responsibility, and should be thought of as a privilege and not a standard. I believe we can improve overall safety and make sure to avoid habits that could ruin many lives. The three ton moving machines of steel that we use everyday could cause chaos in the wrong hands. It’s important to think of all the things at stake when behind the driving seat. Never take anything for granted, and make sure to look both ways when crossing the street.