Educating Yourself Can Save Your Life

Family and friends never want to hear the words, your family member died in a car crash. To prevent these words from being spoken, it is important to attend classes for driver education. Driver education proves to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving. It teaches people how to become a safe driver for a lifetime. People learn the importance of wearing a seatbelt, checking mirrors, using blinkers when making turns or changing lanes, following the speed limit, and abiding by traffic laws. Likewise, people will be taught matter like leaving space in between the car in front of you to allow for a safety cushion in case of having to make sudden stops; thus, preventing an accident from happening. Also, driver education informs individuals what can occur when safety measures are not taken. For example, severe or even fatal car crashes can occur when people do not abide by the speed limit or are under the influence of substances such as drugs or alcohol. When people are made aware of the severity of what can happen if they do not abide by the lessons taught in driver education, they are more likely to take this course seriously and work towards becoming a safe driver. The knowledge and skills gained from driver education properly prepares individuals to operate a vehicle on the roads safely which reduces the likelihood of deaths resulting from car accidents.

Many steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. For starters, no one should ever drive without wearing their seat belts. Seat belts have proven to prevent people from suffering major injuries or dying. No person should ever drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or if they are extremely tired and cannot stay awake behind the wheel. Now a days there is no excuse to drive while impaired. Call a family member, friend, Uber, Lyft, or a taxi instead of driving and risking not only your life, but other’s lives as well. Also, do not speed or rush to get to where you are going. Being a few minutes late to school, work, a birthday party, etc. is better than risking lives by driving way faster than the speed limit. Furthermore, a text or phone call can wait. When your focus is on your cell phone instead of the road, you risk getting into a car accident. Always follow traffic signs, try to avoid driving in dangerous weather conditions, and avoid any distractions while driving. These are key steps to avoid fatal car accidents.

Unfortunately, I myself have been involved in a car accident. My husband and I were on the way to the hospital because I was in labor, preparing to give birth to our first born. The hospital was in our sights and I was thinking of thank goodness because my contractions were growing closer together. However, just as we were about to turn onto the street where the hospital was located, an elderly woman and her friend turned right into our car. We were in the right hand lane and the two women were in the left hand lane trying to make a right hand turn. Their mistake was making a right hand turn from a left lane that did not signal that it was also a turning lane. Thus, they turned their car right into our vehicle and pushed us into a curb. At this time, I panicked for the sake of my unborn baby because when they hit us, the seatbelt tugged hard on my chest and lower abdomen. The intensity of my contractions worsened. Thankfully, my husband took care of me first by getting me to the hospital so that medical personnel could care for me and our baby girl. The baby and I had to be monitored for hours due to the baby’s heart rate fluctuating. Fortunately, our baby girl ended up being born healthy and happy. Then, my husband dealt with the matters of the accident. In this instance, it makes me realize how important driver education is because if that woman would have followed basic traffic laws, this whole scenario could have been avoided.

Personally, I can even make changes to become a better driver or assist others with driving safely. For me, I know that I need to allow more room in between myself and the car in front of me. Sometimes, I notice I get closer than I should to the car in front of me. If I put more distance in between us, it would reduce the chances of having to slam on the brakes and possibly rearend the person in front of me. Another thing I can do to make sure others are safe while driving is to check that everyone who enters my vehicle puts on their seat belt before I even begin to move the car. Usually, I assume everyone automatically puts their seat belt on, but the truth is people do not always. Some people have a mentality of it will never happen to them, until one day it does. Thus, I have no problem reminding people to buckle up for their own safety. Also, I can offer to be a designated driver for my family and friends. I never want anyone to get behind the wheel while compromised. I would rather my family and friends call me to be their designated driver than risk them getting into an accident where they could hurt themselves and/or others. Everyday, people including myself, enter their vehicles to drive to a plethora of destinations. Although I wish car accidents would cease to exist, the reality is that they will happen; but with the proper knowledge and skill sets gained from driver education, we can take the necessary steps to reduce the likelihood of injuries and fatalities resulting from car accidents.