drivers ed saves lives

In
The Driver’s Seat

The
importance of drivers ed in reducing the number of deaths as a
result of driving is the more you know the more you know what and
what not to do on the road with other drivers. Drivers ed is
key to helping beginning drivers learn about the rules of the road,
how to be aware of dangers and traffic situations to avoid accidents.
Teen drivers have to pass a written test and driver test which I
think is essential to the beginning of anyone learning how to drive.
Before anyone gets behind the wheel of a car they should be well
versed about the rules of the road (i.e. how to handle a four way
stop, who has the right of way making a left hand turn, etc). It
would make no sense for anyone to start driving a vehicle and not
know what they can and cannot do legally and how to operate the
vehicle safely. This is the most important part of driver safety,
not just to protect the person behind the wheel but the other drivers
on the road as well.

I
think one important step to reduce the number of deaths related to
driving is driver attention. Whenever a person gets behind the wheel
of a car they have to pay 100% attention to the road and the other
drivers around them. That means no cell phones, no drugs or alcohol
prior to driving, not driving while sleepy, no road rage and driving
defensively. It only takes a second of inattention for a fatality to
happen on a road while driving at high speeds. The most fatal
accidents occur at intersections, this is because you have a mix of
cars, pedestrians and bicycles coming together in one space at the
same time. Drivers knowing that pedestrians having the right away
should be more cautious when approaching an intersection and be more
alert when you are making a right hand turn.

I
was involved in an accident in August of this year (2019). My mother
was driving and we came to a red light on a major thoroughfare and
stopped. As we stopped for the red light a Uhaul van ran into the
back of our car and my mother suffered a back injury, I was in the
back seat with a seatbelt on and I think the cushion of the seat and
the seatbelt cushioned my blow of the impact. This was an example of
the driver either not paying enough attention to the road situation
or their inability to safely drive a larger vehicle. The lady that
hit us was older, she had to been in her late 60’s early 70’s.
At some point when people reach a certain age and their reflexes and
ability to drive has diminished probably should consider not driving,
if not for the safety of themselves but the safety of other drivers
and pedestrians.

The
steps I can take to be a better driver is practice safe driver
techniques. Being a new driver I know there are a lot of situations
on the road I may not have encountered yet and practicing safe driver
techniques will allow me to have the skills to avoid dangerous
situations and possible accidents. For example, maintaining a safe
driving distance behind the car in front of me allows me more and
better reaction time if that vehicle comes to a sudden stop. Making
sure when I’m passing a vehicle and need to change lanes in front
of him to make sure I can see the front of his vehicle in my rearview
mirror before I complete my lane change. Allow space around large
trucks because they require more room to maneuver and their
visibility is limited by the size of the truck. It’s not as easy
for a truck driver to see a small car because of all the blind spots
that large trucks have. These are a few examples of what I mean by
using safe driver techniques to become a better driver and by using
these techniques on a regular basis it becomes second nature to drive
safe and be on the defensive of other drivers that are not driving
safe.