How to become a safe driver

Being a responsible driver is important for everyone in the community including pedestrians, other drivers, and bicyclists. We need cautious drivers to have a safe environment on the road. Many steps can be taken to become a better driver and to help others be safe. An average of 34,000 people have died due to car crashes in a year. As of 2020, Missouri has had 914 fatal crashes and 987 deaths caused by distracted driving. To reduce crashes, people need to follow traffic laws, stay off phones, and be defensive while driving.

Back in November of 2022, I was driving to my friend’s house in my brand new car. I was with my friend and his eight year old brother, who sat in the backseat. As the red light was turning green, I slowed down to avoid getting close to the cars in front of me that were at a stop. I peered through my rear view mirror and noticed a black SUV approaching my car at 50mph. The driver was clearly distracted because she wasn’t slowing down at all. All of a sudden, I heard a loud thump and felt my car shake. I felt my heart pounding and my blood pressure rose through the roof. My mind went blank and I began shaking and crying. What if my friend’s little brother was injured? It would be all my fault if anything had happened.

My anxiety increased higher than I’d ever experienced before and I couldn’t bring myself to move because I didn’t know where to go. I ended up forcing my friend to call my mom so she could deal with the situation. Then, he calmly told me to pull over so we could exchange information with the driver who rear-ended me. Turns out, she had completely wrecked my trunk. And because my trunk wouldn’t latch, it caused my battery to die. She also wouldn’t take any responsibility for her actions, which lengthened the whole process and stressed me out even more. It ended up costing about $7,000 —and my mental health— to get everything repaired. From this experience, I’ve developed driving anxiety, however, I’ve learned to be a defensive driver.

Many steps can be taken to become a great driver including driver education. It is important to have drivers ed because it allows students to gain the fundamental skills, experience, and confidence they need to become a good driver. In drivers ed, students learn the basics of driving and steps to reduce car accidents or even deaths. This includes wearing a seatbelt at all times, adjusting all mirrors to see around you, following the speed limit on all roads, using your turn signal when needed, keeping an eye on the road, and paying attention to your surroundings. As for adults, they can ensure teenagers are driving safely by being role models, which includes wearing a seatbelt when children are in the car. Research shows teens are more likely to wear a seatbelt if their parents wear one too. Adults shouldn’t be distracted by a phone while driving because If they are, then a teenager will also think it’s okay to be distracted. Additionally, they should make sure they aren’t speeding or their kids will follow suit.

While driving, it’s better if you watch the other drivers and be defensive while doing so. It’s possible for you to be driving safely but someone near you could be distracted and cause a car accident. Defensive driving means you should not get distracted by anything such as phones, radios, or even a dog outside. To reduce crashes caused by distracted driving, you should pick one playlist with everything you like so you don’t get on the device to change it. Additionally, you should keep the music low enough so you can hear things in your surroundings, put the phone on “do not disturb”, and put it in a cup holder or a purse. It’s safer to worry about your surroundings than worrying about not liking a song, or texting someone back right away.

In conclusion, many people should consider this information because, in order to have good drivers, people need to know traffic laws and understand that driving is a privilege, not just something thrown at them. People should consider taking a drivers ed course to learn the safety and importance of driving. Young drivers can learn to be better at driving by having good role models around them and understand that it’s more important to be attentive while driving than being reckless while driving.