Irresponsible Driving: The Biggest Safety Hazard

One of the leading causes of death in the United States is motor vehicle accidents. While some of these accidents are unavoidable to even the best drivers, many accidents are preventable, and are the result of driving irresponsibly. Irresponsible driving can include anything from distracted driving, road rage, driving under the influence of harmful substances, and a lack of education on road safety.

Road safety can be improved by eliminating distracted driving. While the main cause of distracted driving is cell phone usage, there are other factors such as selecting songs and listening to music and distracting conversations from passengers. Preventing distracted driving is as simple as telling your friends to be quiet, letting someone else choose the songs, and putting your phone on silent and in your pocket. With the advance of semi-autonomous driving systems, distracted driving has increased significantly, despite the fact that this technology is not ready to be fully autonomous, and still requires the full attention of the driver. Distracted driving is the biggest danger on the roads, as every day I see multiple people on their phones while behind the wheel. This is especially frightening as a pedestrian, and there is nothing more terrifying than crossing a crosswalk as a car quickly approaches, only to realize that the driver is looking at their phone, and not at you or the stop sign in front of them.

Road rage is not something that I experience often, but I have seen people get quite angry over another person driving aggressively. The way I deal with road rage is to remind myself that other people make mistakes, and that something that didn’t happen is not something to get angry about. We can’t control other people, so screaming at someone who you will never see again will not solve anything. Staying calm and collected instead of furious is much safer while operating a vehicle.

Driving under the influence is another cause of motor vehicle accidents, and preventing it is simple. Choosing not to drink alcohol if you know you have to drive home is one of the many possible solutions, as well as selecting a designated driver, and taking a taxi or Uber to avoid the risk of accidents. Substances such as alcohol can warp your ability to make rational and informed decisions, therefore jeopardizing the safety of everyone if you choose to drive home. As a driver, you need to be fully aware and attentive in order to make good decisions, react in case of a hazard, and avoid becoming a hazard to others.

Driver education is important in informing people the risks and dangers of improper driving, as well as emphasizing the laws that keep us safe on the road. Every traffic law has been passed for the safety of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, and choosing to ignore those laws creates a hazard to anyone involved. Most importantly, we need to educate everyone that driving needs to be taken seriously, as it has the potential to kill anyone if proper precautions are not taken.

In general, most of the people in my life are responsible drivers, but there are a few who specifically believe that they are immune to distracted driving. One in particular looks at his phone every two or three minutes to change the song that he listens to. What people don’t realize is that a driving situation can change in less than a second, and anyone not paying attention has a much higher chance of getting in an accident.

Another hazard that I notice is the lack of turn signals and not using seatbelts. While both seem like obvious risks, I have noticed that some people either don’t realize how much of a hazard it is, or just don’t care. Turn signals are there specifically to alert other drivers to your next move, so that they can avoid getting in your way. Seatbelts are a safety precaution in case of an accident, so choosing not to use it both demonstrates an irresponsible level of overconfidence, but also a lack of concern for your life.

While most of the reasons for accidents can be avoided, nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes, but it is important to realize that as drivers we must do the best we can at keeping everyone including ourselves safe. Safety should never be a second concern, as everything can be replaced, except lives. So next time you get in the car, it doesn’t matter where you’re going or how fast you need to get there. What matters is that you get there safely.