Name: Emma Doty
From: Henderson, NV
Votes: 0
Emma
Doty
26
September 2019
The
Importance of Safe Driving
According
to the CDC, “more than 32,000 people are killed and 2 million are
injured each year from motor vehicle crashes.” This statistic is
overwhelmingly high and there are many measures that we can take in
order to reduce the number of fatalities. It is important that people
become educated on the importance of safe driving.
Making
people aware of what to do in certain situations can help reduce the
number of deaths in car accidents. For example, I took this drivers
edge class where I learned how to respond to unexpected
circumstances. I learned how to turn into a skid (when the pavement
is wet), how to avoid car accidents, and many other skills that I
have learned to apply while driving. I think informing the public on
certain ways to drive would be beneficial so we can expect the
unexpected and react the way we need to react to potentially save our
lives.
The
first step that we can take to reduce the number of deaths related to
driving is educating people on the statistics of how many people lose
their lives due to reckless driving. Secondly, I think it is smart to
reinforce the importance of learning how to be a defensive driver
(for example, doing a driving program such as drivers edge). Third,
making sure people understand the responsibility they have when they
are behind the wheel. Fourth, reinforcing laws and regulations
through police officers.
A
couple weeks ago, my family and I were driving back from the Grand
Canyon. All the sudden, we see dust stirring up and so my dad quickly
pulls over. There was so much dirt stirred up from the cars flipping
that we did not see what had transpired. We were about 10 seconds
away from being involved in the crash, and I am grateful that we were
not in the accident and we were able to help those who were involved.
There were three cars involved in the accident. There was a van full
of tourists, an elderly couple, and a young woman that was stuck
upside down in her smushed-in car. We heard from other witnesses that
the van may have been driving a little too recklessly. My parents
helped the elderly couple, and they were grateful that we were able
to provide them with bandages and other aides. Everyone ended up
being alright, but there were many who had to have surgeries. My
family and I were stuck on the scene for around 2.5 hours, and there
were many ambulances and helicopters coming in in that period of
time. Although I was no involved in the accident, it shook me up
because my great Aunt died in a car accident from a drunk driver. I
am always cautious while driving because car accidents freak me out,
and it is sad how careless others are when making decisions that
could potentially take someone’s life.
The
steps that I can take to be a better and safer driver are that: I
should reduce my speed and be more aware of how fast I am going, I
should also be more aware of other drivers to try and avoid getting
into accidents, and I should focus on the road and let the
distractions be. I think others can be safer on the road by applying
these principles as well. I think phones are a big issue in car
accidents, so if people use their phones, they should really
reconsider that decision and not use their phones while driving.
Work
Cited
“Motor
Vehicle Crash Deaths | VitalSigns | CDC.” Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/motor-vehicle-safety/index.html.
