Actions and Consequences

In our society, there are millions of people behind the wheel and making choices at every turn and at every second that they sit in the driver seat. At times, those choices only affect them, however, there are moments where that isn’t the case. The importance of driver education is substantial in relation to lowering the number of deaths as a result of driving. The biggest negative choice that many drivers choose is that of distracted driving. This can mostly be seen with the use of a cell phone while behind the wheel. The education of our actions affecting not only us but others can help limit the amount of people affected by death or severe injuries during car accidents. Very recently, my cousin was involved in a serious car accident with his wife and their infant daughter. He sustained many broken bones including his back, neck, several ribs; his wife suffered broken ribs, bruising and other injuries and their baby received many cuts and bruises as a result of someone else’s choice to be distracted. There are basic educations and laws occasionally enforced against distracted driving, however I believe that if it was more advertised and taught, this would prove to be beneficial.

On occasion, my husband has picked up his phone while behind the wheel. Whether it was to select music, respond to a quick message or attempt to call someone; the action is still the same. He is one to get frustrated with other drivers when they are distracted and irresponsible, so while in the passenger seat, I try to do my best to help him avoid being the type of person that he often gets angry with. I let him know that he is making choices that he doesn’t like other people to make, and to let me handle anything that needs to be done on the device. It isn’t easy to acknowledge, but he does allow me to help. Besides distractions, drivers tend to try to make decisions in order to make things more convenient or easier for them even though it can make things harder on other drivers. Not using a blinker, last minute turns or lane changes, to name a few. Since having my son, I now like to take more precautions when I am driving not only with him in the car but also on my own. I also think that educating other drivers on keeping a calm mindset while driving is very important. During road rage incidences, drivers are faced with many choices and at times, they don’t make the best ones. My uncle passed away last year when a road rage incident ended with him getting shot by the other driver, who followed him after they exchanged some explicit words and hand motions. My uncle was not armed or showing as a threat at the time but had equally participated in the road rage before he calmed down. He then had attempted to de-escalate the situation, however the decisions of the other driver negatively impacted him.

There are things I can do to make sure that I am making the best decisions that I can while driving. These include planning my route ahead of time, being more aware of my surroundings at all times and putting the devices away while I am behind the wheel and the car is moving. Planning my route ahead of time is a choice that I tend to make often, though the motivation behind that is usually due to my liking of being early to events or places I am going to. It also helps me prepare for any construction zones, road closures, or high levels of traffic where a lot of accidents occur. Education of consequences to actions is a huge factor in helping reduce the casualties that are a result of bad decision making and ignorance on the roadway. I think that education starting before the age of driving qualification can better prepare future drivers and limit the amount of accidents from occurring. Some schools provide driver’s education classes, though they are optional and not often talked about. I think making these classes more mandatory and more of a priority will help people feel more comfortable to get behind the wheel. Also, for those who like to plan ahead, having traffic reports easily accessible can help with anxieties and frustrations on the roadway which can lead to bad decision making and road rage incidences. Officers who enforce the no distracted driving laws are also making a big difference when that law is taken seriously and they assist with educating drivers. Though receiving a ticket is hard, it often teaches valuable lessons with the impressions they leave behind.