Safety First

Safety
First

Collin
Hince

Young
teenagers all over the nation are working on getting their driver
licenses, and with so many young inexperienced drivers getting on the
roads, one may be worried about the dangers they pose to others.
However, drivers ed programs are mandatory for those under 18
and in my opinion, do a solid job teaching new drivers about many
dangers and risks involved with driving. Drivers ed programs
provide solid foundations of good driving habits and safe practices
for the rest of their lives, should they choose to keep them in mind.

Reducing
the amount of vehicle related deaths is a difficult task as there are
many causes for vehicle related deaths. Road conditions and weather
in general pose safety hazards every winter in Wisconsin where I
live. Poor choices such as driving under the influence of drugs and
or alcohol also causes many accidents. Presently though, the biggest
cause for concern on the road in my experience has been the use of
cellphones and other technology while driving.

City
workers do their best to plow roads free of snow and salt them to
prevent ice from causing accidents. Although this is very helpful,
accidents still occur often in the winter. Drivers should adjust the
way they drive with respect to weather and road conditions. For
example, braking early for a slower, smoother stop to avoid sliding
into intersections or cars in front of them. Staying farther behind
the car in front of you while driving in bad weather is much safer as
it will give you more time to react and slow down safely behind them.
Making sure your vehicle is properly outfitted for the cold season
also helps to keep you safe on the road. Equipping your vehicle with
winter tires when appropriate and rotating your tires every 5,000 to
7,000 miles will give the vehicle better traction and keep the tires
from wearing unevenly.

Driving
under the influence has been a problem for quite some time, even
though there are many ways to avoid doing so. If ever you plan to go
out and consume alcohol or other substances that inhibit vehicle
operation, having a designated driver in your company is a good way
to keep your friends together and of course to get them home safely.
If that isn’t an option, there are several commonly used
applications on cellular devices that provide safe transportation at
the touch of a fingertip. Taking an uber or a lyft home at a small
cost is much better than spending the weekend in jail after trying to
get yourself home.

Today,
cell phones are in just about everybody’s pockets, and are
significant distractions in daily life. I’ve seen many people with
their eyes on their phones while driving and even had the
uncomfortable experience of being a passenger in the vehicle of
someone driving while using their phone. It is the driver’s
responsibility to keep focused on the road without being distracted
by technology, at least it was until recently. Many drivers are so
careless with using phones that automotive manufacturing companies
have designed sensors that warn drivers when their eyes have left the
road. I either leave my phone in my pocket or hand my phone to
passengers in the car to control the music with as well as to give my
passengers the comfort of knowing I’m driving undistracted with
their safety in my hands.

My
mother worries me on the road as I’ve seen her casually texting
while steering the vehicle with her knee and have been worried for my
own safety while in the vehicle with her. For this reason I seldom
subject myself to her dangerous driving practices. Unsurprisingly her
car has needed many more repairs than mine has in the past few years.

In
the three years I have been driving I haven’t been in an accident
once nor have I been issued a ticket for traffic violations. I credit
this to a combination of making safe choices before and while
driving, and sticking to the safe driving practices I’ve learned
from my drivers ed program. Being careless and lazy leads to
bad driving habits and more accidents on the road.