Small Changes Can Make Big Impacts

I
live in Arizona, one of only 18 states that do not require driver
education as a prerequisite for getting one’s driver’s license.
Although I have never been in a car accident, there have been many
close incidents. One of the scariest events of my life happened on
the day of my junior prom. Driving on the freeway towards the venue
with a friend in my passenger seat and another in the back, we were
singing along to the radio when all of a sudden I noticed the car
next to me getting into my lane. There was not enough room and they
were going to run right into us. I swerved to the left and honked my
horn scared that I would, in turn, hit someone in the next lane over.
The car got back into his lane and sped off, and we were extremely
lucky nobody got hurt. The car that had almost hit us was missing a
rearview mirror and had not even looked in the lane next to him to
check if there was a car there.

Ever
since that experience I have been increasingly careful when driving.
Traffic accidents are the fourth leading cause of death in the United
States and over 90 people die from one each day. Chances are that you
or someone you love will be directly impacted by a car accident at
some point in your life. Drivers ed is critical for decreasing
these numbers and everyone should be required to participate in it
before being allowed to receive a license. It is crucial for
informing drivers on not only the rules of the road but how to be a
safe and defensive driver.

One
of the biggest problems on the road today is distracted driving.
Cell phones are one of the most used items by U.S. citizens today and
frequently used in the car. Ideally, everyone would shut off their
phone while driving but with newer cars using Bluetooth for GPS and
music, this is not an option for everyone. The biggest way to stay
safe and decrease the number of car-related deaths is to put the
phone down while driving. Do not check texts or alerts, no matter
how safe you may believe you are, it only takes a few seconds for a
car in front of you to stop too soon for you to brake in time.

While
phones are the biggest distractors, other, simpler factors can be
just as bad for driving. Fatigue, anger, or sorrow are all emotions
that can make your thoughts drift from the task at hand: driving.
Avoid driving under the described circumstances at all costs. If you
find yourself getting into the car with emotions running through your
mind take a deep breath and try to put those feelings aside until you
reach your destination.

The
number one thing I plan to implement in my driving routine to become
a safer driver is to start putting my phone on do not disturb and not
checking it at all while I drive, even when stopped at a traffic
light. This change may be small, but it could make a big impact if
it one day saves a life.