Proficient Driving Habits

Automobiles have slowly become an invention that many people rely on. Whether that may be driving for a trip to the grocery store, to go to school/work, or to go to the DMV to get your driver’s license. Humans have become highly dependent on cars, and they have become a significant part of many people’s lives. Unfortunately, driving poses many risks, and can lead to serious consequences if not done correctly. There are many resources that one can utilize in order to increase the safety for themselves and others around them.

One beneficial resource is Driver Education, commonly known as Driver’s Ed. In a course of Driver Education one can learn about the rules of the road, and important details about their car. Many courses include visuals, such as images and videos in order to make the information more easy to comprehend. Also, there are many online Driver Education courses, making it easy to access in the comfort of one’s own home. Driver Education is a very common resource that many people are able to use and learn from. However, there are many other steps that can be taken to reduce the number of injuries and deaths due to driving. For example, simply taking time out of your own day to learn about driving safely can make a huge impact. Instead of only studying to pass a test, I believe that every driver should learn about extra precautions that they can take. Every precaution taken can lead to saving a life, for instance! Knowledge about driving and safety is crucial, and is something that can never be taken away from someone.

In the 21st century, almost everyone has access to a little screen in their pocket, capable of doing numerous things. Unfortunately, these little screens combined with driving have led to 3,522 deaths in 2021 (U Drive. U Text. U Pay. Campaign Kickoff, 2023). Distracted driving is slowly becoming a leading cause of car accidents and is causing devastating consequences. By taking a break from your cell phone, these dreadful consequences can be avoided. Another critical step is allowing yourself to understand your physical and/or mental capacity before deciding to take the wheel. For instance, one should be physically capable of driving. As obvious as this seems, many drivers usually are overconfident in their capability of being able to drive. This overconfidence could be due to multiple reasons such as having peer pressure from friends, wanting to show off, or simply not wanting someone else to be in control of the vehicle. Whatever reason it may be, it is important to reasonably and logically think before driving. Taking the risk or mere chance, is not worth it and can lead to regretful outcomes. Being in a good mental capacity is just as important as being physically capable. If you catch yourself experiencing extreme emotions such as anger, sadness, or anxiety, you should let someone else drive. These emotions can lead to quick and poor choices. It can also cause you to show inadequate driving actions, such as tailgating and road range. When being on the road, one should be aware of everyone around them and set a good example. Not being in a good mental state can lead to setting bad examples. These bad examples can lead to a negative cycle, of other drivers picking up another driver’s inappropriate habits, creating an unsafe environment.

I myself have experienced being in an unsafe environment set by other drivers. One day my mom was driving me and my brother to school. School zones are often very busy and one should be very cautious of their surroundings, as there are usually many children walking around the school. Unfortunately the driver behind us was not demonstrating any adequate driving actions. Throughout the whole time, he was tailgating our car. In one instance, the traffic light was yellow, and my mom saw that it was not safe enough to cross the intersection. Thus, she stopped, and remained in her lane. The driver behind us was infuriated at this and began to honk repeatedly. We ignored this behavior and proceeded through the intersection. My mom was driving slowly through the school zone to be cautious of the pedestrians, however the driver behind was driving so fast that he could not slow his car down in time. This, unfortunately, led to him crashing into our car. Thankfully, we were all wearing our seat belts. However, my younger brother was in a car booster, causing the imbalance to push him forward. We had to quickly call for help, and go to the hospital. We later found out that his arm had been fractured. Although this situation did lead to a bad outcome, I was grateful that we had taken precautions to avoid the outcomes from becoming worse. For instance by wearing seatbelts, proceeding cautiously, and not demonstrating poor driving actions, we were able to decrease our chance of experiencing something even worse.

To summarize, driving safely is extremely important as it can be between the choice of life and death. By taking time on your own to increase your knowledge about driving, staying off your cell phone, and making sure that you are physically and mentally capable of driving, can help to maximize the safety of everyone. Practicing safe driving actions can allow for the road to be a safe environment for everyone.

Citations:

Car Accident Casualties:

Shulman , Sophie. “U Drive. U Text. U Pay. Campaign Kickoff.” NHTSA, 3 Apr. 2023, www.nhtsa.gov/speeches-presentations/distracted-driving-campaign-kickoff.