Name: Ivan Chi
From: Riverside, California
Votes: 0
“I’m a great driver.” This phrase has been said repeatedly by
friends and family alike. In fact, most drivers would rate themselves
as above average drivers according to a study published in the
Journal of Applied Social Psychology1.
In fact, one of my friends used his phone while posting videos of his
speedometer fluttering about the 120 mile per hour range. He would
also consider himself a good driver since he managed to not crash his
car despite going at this speed. Obviously, he is not a good driver;
the drivers who managed to notice and avoid him were much better
drivers. It never hurts to yell at dangerous drivers to be safer and
drive slower if you are ever in the passenger seat.
Being a good
driver also entails a constant state of vigilance. This alertness has
been ingrained into them through comprehensive drivers ed. They
not only ensure that the passengers in their vehicle are safe, they
also guarantee that the roads are safe for everyone else. They do
this by employing a variety of methods such as: scanning the roads,
checking blind spots, being calm, and being alert. Not only that,
things as simple as putting on a seatbelt could eliminate the
severity of injuries caused in accidents. These simple actions, when
done by everyone, makes for much safer roads.
As a newly
licensed driver, I improved my driving by making sure I had a
comprehensive knowledge on driving. However, the biggest factor
towards my driving abilities are my emotions. I always avoid road
rage and keeping a longer patience. Furthermore, risk taking is an
enormous negative in driving. When I am making a right turn on a red
light, I always try to veer on the cautious side. I do not turn
whenever the cross-traffic’s speed is too high or the distance is
too close. If something occurs on the road that angers you, try to
calm yourself down and approach cautiously: drive with your head, not
with your heart. Drivers with sound control over their emotions can
usually be safer drivers.
One of the
greatest components of safe roads is communication. Good drivers
convey to other drivers their intentions through signaling. Those
drivers would signal an ample amount of time before their action to
ensure that other drivers have a better understanding of what is
occurring. Drivers who do not signal are only testing the reaction
times of other drivers, increasing the dangers on the road. Also, it
never hurts to honk to let the car backing up in front of you to know
that your car is close behind to avoid collision. In general,
communication helps you ensure that other drivers drive safely as
well.
Following these steps will create better drivers. Better drivers
mean safer roads for yourself and for everyone else.
