The Driver Initiative

Driver’s education is more important than people think. It is what they teach you that prevents you from getting into terrible wrecks. I still remember the videos that the instructor would show that seemed harmless to do, but in fact, is bad practice towards safe driving. For example, I remember a video involving a sleepless truck driver that had a microsleep (a nap lasting only a few seconds) that ended up killing an entire family. Then, there was also a video showing the comparison between drunk drivers and sleep-deprived drivers… The results were shocking! These drivers were almost identical in the way that they reacted to obstacles on the course, reaction time, etc. It was astounding to see that sleep deprivation can be such a big factor! Cops can pull you over thinking you are drunk but in fact just tired, and there’s nothing that the cops can do other than give them a warning. There are many other ways to get into an accident but that piece of information stuck with me. Sleep is the approximation of being drunk and is a more common thing to happen than some like to believe.

Car accidents or other driving-related deaths are preventable. If you are drinking at a bar, I feel as though the staff at the bar should have the authority to confiscate your keys before you drink. They also have the ability to judge whether or not based on how many drinks you had to ensure that they are capable of driving. A breathalyzer wouldn’t work while they are drinking because the alcohol hasn’t been fully absorbed yet as it takes roughly around 90 minutes to fully affect the body. As for habits, just build them when teaching new drivers and/or those going through driver’s education because it will go a long way for them when getting older. Habits like making sure everyone’s seat belts are on, not messing with the driver to get their eyes off the road or along those lines, not looking at your phone even at a red light, and so on. Habits are best built sooner rather than later.

Accidents happen to anyone, anywhere, and at any time… I was in a car accident though I was only one year old at the time. However, I could’ve just as easily died in that crash and that would’ve been the end of my life right then and there. But I was lucky… My parents were lucky… I couldn’t imagine how scared my parents were when they crashed. Accidents can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at any time… To some, it doesn’t take effect, however, until you’re in a crash. I will admit that my parents still from that car accident don’t practice the best safety practices while driving. For instance, my parents still eat and drink while they drive, drive with one hand on the wheel, and fight through sleep even though they can stop or let somebody else drive. Even right next to my high school, there was an accident that happened because some students were just jamming out, they turned left at a red light and hit an ice truck. Luckily everybody got off with some scratches and bruises but it could’ve been worse! People don’t seem to realize how often accidents are around and just doing little extra things makes all the difference. There is no such thing as a perfect human being, but there are steps towards that. I know that old habits die hard, but some may go further and take you to the grave.

A step that I can personally take for being a better driver is getting more sleep. Sleep overall is important to have, especially when driving! All it takes is a couple of seconds on the road and something terrible happens. At an average of 60 mph, 1 second is approximately 88 ft traveled. That’s almost a quarter of a football field! I feel like that statistic should be said to every driver pulled over and let that sink in. At 60 mph, every second you travel a quarter length of a football field… That’s insane! I feel as though it should be mandatory to take some sort of safety survey every year to ensure people know that what they are doing is not safe! This survey will show people that have a complex of sorts that they are invincible and nothing will happen to them. This mindset is most prevalent in teenagers and even young adults. I’m here to tell you; no one is safe! It doesn’t even matter if you are the safest driver in the world; all it takes is one person to not have their mind on the road and cause an accident.