Driver Danger

Whitney Felix

15 March 2020

Driver
Danger

Death caused by car
accident is among the top three causes of death in the United States.
This results in almost 1.25 million deaths a year due to automobile
accidents, which is about 3,300 deaths a day. These statistics prove
that unsafe driving habits need to be addressed and fixed as best
they can be.

When a person first
starts learning to drive, it is very beneficial if they are enrolled
in a drivers ed class. This provides an environment where
they can be properly instructed on how to drive safely without the
pressure of constantly being lectured by a parent. With an instructor
rather than a parent, the student is much more likely to take
criticism positively, and argue back less. The instructor is also
more likely to keep a collective manner and deliver the instructions
and criticisms in a positive way. The other thing with driver’s
education is that the instructors are trained to teach proper
driving, causing them to be aware of all rules and more knowledgeable
about the things that someone can do wrong while driving. Therefore,
taking drivers ed classes is already setting that person up to
be a better and safer driver when they hit the roads themselves by
providing a positive learning environment.

Not all car
accidents are preventable, as some of them happen due to unexpected
health issues with drivers, as well as simply human error, but there
are definitely measures that can be taken lessen the amount of
distractions that are available to a driver. For example, laws have
been put in place in some states to prevent a driver from even
talking to someone on the phone while driving, deterring some people
from giving in to this distraction. This does not get rid of the
immediate distraction that occurs whenever someone hears their phone
go off. If there was a way to make it so that the drivers phone is
completely turned off or silenced that would eliminate the
distraction that most commonly takes a driver’s eyes off the road.
Other distractions, including conversations happening in the car and
things going on beside the road are definitely present, but not
completely preventable.

I have never
personally had the experience of being in a car accident, but I have
experiences people I love getting into serious accidents and also
experienced irresponsible driving. When my grandfather got into his
car accident at the age of eighty-five it almost took his life.
Having the experience of having something to life altering happen to
me in the matter of minutes was one of the hardest things I have ever
had to experience. This effected my life for multiple weeks
afterwards, all because of one wrong move made by the driver of a
car. This really brought to my attention the importance of safe
driving. As I said I have also seen both family and friends partake
in reckless driving. Though this never occurred when other cars were
around or on dangerous roads, the fear in a passenger with no control
as to what happens to them is very real and very alarming. All of
these situations have personally brought to my attention and stressed
the importance of safe driving.

Personally, in
order to become a safer driver, I can attempt to make my phone less
of a distraction, and check my notifications less while I am on the
road. I also need to drive slower at times, and pay more attention to
my speed. The last piece of advice that I could give to myself would
be to focus more on the road in front of me and let my mind wonder
less. IN order to help my friends to become safer drivers I can
discourage them whenever I see them partaking in a bad driving habit,
and also not be a distraction myself when in the car with them.

All in all,
automobile accident rates have gotten out of control. Safe driving is
a must is necessary for the safety of everyone.