
Name: Travis T. Beck
From: Glen Burnie, MD
Votes: 0
Importance of Driving Safety
Travis
T. Beck
Importance
of Driver Safety
Driver
safety is one of the most important things anyone can learn.
Thousands of people die every year from car accidents and the sad
thing is that most can be prevented. With better knowledge and
practice countless lives can be saved.
One
great change in drivers ed that I think would help is periodic
check ups for new drivers. When I was going through the process to
get my learner’s permit, one of the final steps was to turn in the
notebook that you documented your 60 required hours of driving.
Unfortunately the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) failed to verify
if the book had all required driving hours completed. Even if they
would have verified, it is impossible to see whether or not the new
driver was competent. I think having periodic check ups with a
driving instructor to see the progress in students would greatly
increase driver safety. If the instructor did not think that the
student was ready they could add on required hours for that student.
Not every person is the same. Some people need more practice than
others and I think ensuring that they get that practice is key.
Fortunately
I have not been in a car accident, however, I have seen my friends
driving irresponsibly on numerous occasions. Many of them think
nothing will happen to them but it only takes one time for something
life changing to happen. With better practice and knowledge they can
learn how their driving can affect others. I have also seen how an
accident can affect families, a school, and a community. A year and a
half ago a girl who attended my high school was struck by a car and
killed. It was at night and it is assumed the driver was driving
recklessly; they veered off the road, struck the girl, and left the
scene of the accident. The entire school and community was absolutely
heartbroken that a young girl’s life was taken because of negligent
driving.
I
myself sometimes do not practice safe driving because I am running
late or think, like my friends, nothing will happen. To fix this I
can remind myself that speeding to be on time is not more important
than my life or someone else’s. I can also make a conscious effort to
focus on what I am doing unsafely and then correct that behavior.
Another thing I can do is educate my friends and family on their
unsafe driving and the potential impact it can have on the lives of
many. It is important that we all remember the potential impact of
unsafe driving and how making adjustments can lead to less accidents.