The Little Things

Have
you ever laughed at a grandpa’s joke? Imagine a child giving you
the biggest smile and hug, or receiving a message from a good friend
that makes your day. It’s often said that little things make the
biggest difference. What makes life amazing is the collection of tiny
blessings that remind us what love and joy are. But sometimes sorrow
and pain drown the ability to see the true beauty of life. Too much
of that sorrow is born from car crashes and fatalities. Many car
crashes happen because of simple driving errors. It is sad that lives
can be destroyed by these minor mistakes. However, we can help lower
the number of fatalities and therefore protect the beloved people
around us by carefully following each traffic law with precision and
driving safely.

Mahatma
Gandhi said, “…Your thoughts become your…actions. Your actions
become your habits.” Everything builds upon itself, and driving is
no exception. Small traffic rules such as proper turn signaling,
checking blind spots, driving undistracted, and stopping completely
prepare drivers for situations on bigger roads and in heavier
traffic. To this day, I get nervous every time a driver ignores these
and other traffic rules because they aren’t giving their full
attention to their surroundings, and I know that little choices can
lead to big consequences. As drivers start becoming complacent in
their abilities, their driving can become more and more dangerous.
With time, this leads to unsafe driving habits. Furthermore, those
who do not heed the simpler rules of driving are more likely to
disregard other driving laws and put people in danger.

This
is why Drivers ed is such a necessary step; it drills the
importance of following the small and basic driving rules, teaches
aspiring drivers to pay attention to every detail on the road, and
fosters correct, life-saving driving habits before bad habits get
established. Like many teenagers, I thought Drivers Ed to be a
burden and felt a little nervous for an instructor to watch me drive.
But I soon discovered that there is so much information to absorb
that I didn’t realize how much I was actually learning. As I
learned to drive, I surprised myself at how much I remembered from
Drivers Ed as I watched my parents and recognized what they did
correctly and what they forgot. 

Many
new license-holders, fresh from Drivers ed, enter the road
with safe driving habits and follow traffic guidelines meticulously.
We as drivers have to continue to practice that safety and accuracy
in driving so that we do not become lazy in following traffic laws.
If we can continue to make safe driving choices, be vigilant on the
road, and carefully follow every traffic law, no matter how big or
small, the roads will be a safer place. The little things only take a
moment, but that moment could save a life.