Safety > Everything

Safety
> Everything

Driving
is a right of passage for most teenagers, and while it allows for
more freedom and independence it opens up a whole new world of danger
for teenagers. Educating young drivers is extremely important for
public safety. The more people know before getting on the roads the
more comfortable they will be while driving, this will ensure they
make fewer rash decisions when on the road. According to
DriverSafely.com people who have taken a drivers ed course are less
likely to get in an accident and significantly less likely to commit
traffic violations.This shows a direct correlation from driver
education to increased safety. As young people become more educated
about how to best be safe while driving they will make better and
safer choices and make our roads a safer place.

We
all know that driving is very dangerous and although most of us do it
daily and are comfortable with driving the risk is still there,
always. The only sure fire way to mitigate the risk is to educate
thoroughly as soon as possible. Data from Insurance.com proves that
no matter the age, the first month of having a driver’s license is by
far the most dangerous; by the end of the first year however the
amount of crashes decreased a whopping 45%. Anyone gaining a new
license has little to no experience driving on their own.They learn
through trial and error, slowly but surely, they learn how to be a
better driver hopefully before they are involved in a fatal crash, or
any crash for that matter. So rather than sending new drivers
directly into the lion’s den we should mandate a certain amount of
hours in real life driving situations, a government sponsored week
long class, and a two test system that is more intensive than what we
currently have. While this might make the process more difficult and
add layers of red tape it is nowhere near the cost of the lives it
will protect.

Personally
I have been in only one accident and it was one that I caused and
only involved me. One day I was driving home from an early morning
gym session. It was around 7:00, it had rained that night so the
roads were ever so slightly sick, and to cap it all off I had not
slept a wink the night before. I was groggy, exhausted, and
non-attentive. I realized I was drifting dangerously close to
oncoming traffic on the narrow road. I corrected sharply out of fear
and sent my car into a hydroplane fueled spin, hitting a brick
mailbox, running over a water line, and eventually being stopped dead
by a tree. When the car stopped I had little time to process, I
checked myself for injuries, tried to exit the drivers door only to
find it jammed shut due to the aforementioned mailbox. So I scurried
out the passenger side door to escape my smoking vehicle. Looking
back at photos it was a true miracle I came out largely unscathed. It
was a harrowing experience that has affected the way I drive forever.

I
think everything anybody needs to know about being a safer driver can
be summed up in one simple tip. Do not rush for any reason, EVER, no
destination is as important as your life. When I drive I have to be
more focused on my safety rather than the speed at which I arrive at
my destination. This will allow me to make many more safety oriented
decisions that minimize risk for myself and everyone around me. I
also need to drive with my eyes more often. I sometimes find myself
just staying between the lines rather actively driving. I need to
keep my eyes open and alert at all times in order to keep pedestrians
and myself safe at all times.

Driving
is more than just following basic traffic laws and a means of travel.
It is a calculated risk we take every day. So when we do take that
risk we need to make sure we give everyone the best chance at safety.
Whether that be taking a government mandated class, or just being
more attentive. It is imperative that we make whatever changes
necessary to ensure the safety of our roads.