A Lesson on How to Drive Can Keep Others Alive

A Lesson on How to Drive Can Keep Others Alive

Nobody
likes to sit in their car and think about how this may be the last
time he/she is able to drive that car, whether it be a fault on
him/her or another careless driver. Numerous drivers confidently sit
behind the wheel with the toxic ideology of “that will never happen
to me,” but the harsh reality is that vehicular disaster can hit
anybody, no pun intended. These kinds of tragedies, however, can be
easily avoided with the proper education and effective
practices/habits.

Driver’s
education is one of the main ingredients in the recipe of safe
driving. Not only knowing the roles in the car (what each gear does,
how to turn on turn signals, use of headlights, etc.) but also
knowing the rules of the road contribute to someone being a safe
driver. A driver, especially one with a new and fresh permit, needs
to be aware of the simple rules of the road, whether it being using
headlights in off weather or when to turn on a turn signal. Being
educated on these practices will minimize the probability of
disaster. For example, someone who uses a turn signal to switch
lanes alerts the drivers in that lane to adjust their speed to make
room for that car. However, if the driver doesn’t use his turn
signal to change lanes, a car in the other lane can easily be
side-swiped as that driver didn’t know this driver’s intentions.
There are other rules of the road that can easily be confused, which
is why drivers ed needs to be administered. For example, a
driver may think that since you’re allowed to turn right on red
that you are also allowed to turn left on red, which isn’t the
case. It’s better that those who are uneducated become educated
before they have to learn the hard way when they’re hospitalized
from a crash that could have been avoided.

In
order to reduce the number of driving-related deaths, there are
multiple precautions and practices that can be enforced. The first
and most important one is to have everyone in the car adopt the habit
of putting on their seatbelts right when they get settled so that
everybody is strapped in before the car even starts moving. Another
helpful habit to get into is to not look at your phone until you’ve
reached your destination so that full attention is on the road. Even
diverting attention for a couple seconds can cause a fatal crash, and
these attention diversions are largely credited to cell phones.
Along with putting full attention on the road is to also be aware and
alert about surroundings as you’re driving. What I mean by this is
to pay attention to your following distance of the car in front of
you so you don’t rear-end them, or to check to see if any cars are
coming before you change lanes or turn right on a red light. Being
alert of everything going on ensures the safety of everyone in the
car. Another thing to keep in mind is taking caution in bad weather.
Many drivers believe that they can go the same speed limit if not
more when driving in rain or snow. Again, people are in the “my
car can handle this, it won’t happen to me” mindset. However,
this leads to either hydroplaning on slippery roads where the car
can’t stop or the same effect but on ice in the winter. Not taking
caution basically gives Mother Nature permission to take full control
of your car where you can’t even control where it goes, what it
hits, or who it kills. Thousands of accidents happen in bad weather,
and if a driver doesn’t take precaution, it could be their family
member that is killed next.

I’ve
been lucky enough to have never experienced a car accident
first-hand, but my family members do have irresponsible driving
habits. Both my aunt and my sister text or talk on the phone. They
use the excuse of “I’m at a red light, it’s okay.” But, they
continue to finish up their messages as the car slowly creeps into
motion. Me not having control in these instances makes me anxious as
the person I’m trusting with this giant machine, that I’m
trusting with my life, isn’t even paying attention when driving.
Some of my other friends also frequently drink, and they think it’s
okay to drink while they’re “buzzed.” They say that they are
okay to drive because they aren’t fully drunk, but I know that
their brains still aren’t functioning normally. They also use the
excuse of “I’m not driving that far, it’s only a couple
blocks,” but anything can happen. A car can come around the corner
and hit them head-on. Distance is not an issue, and driving while
only mildly intoxicated isn’t an excuse.

Steps
to take include trying to correct these harmful behaviors that my
family and friends do that I have previously mentioned, as well as
educate them on the effects of irresponsible or reckless driving.
Using cases that are relatable will allow them to empathize and be
able to better understand the true impact of what they could
potentially do and cause. This mixed with enforcing safety
precautions like always wearing a seatbelt or always using a turn
signal will train everyone around me to be a safer driver.

Sure,
it may be painful to sit and listen to the boring rules of the road
or the topic of safe driving, but it would be even more painful
sitting at a loved one’s funeral that could have easily been
avoided.