Driver Education Initiative – Safety Starts with Me

• What
  is the importance of drivers ed in reducing the number deaths
  as a result of driving?

• What
  steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to
  driving?

• Have
  you ever had an experience of being in car accident or have seen
  your friends or family members driving irresponsibly?

• What
  steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help
  others become safer on the road?

Where I live in
Macungie, Pennsylvania, there are many different road conditions that
I have to drive through. We get ice on the road from snow in the
winters, puddles from rainstorms in the spring, and potholes when the
snow starts to melt. All of these conditions come with their own
risks and precautions that we get taught in our drivers ed
at school. Not only does this class just teach us what the different
signs mean and how to properly park a car, but they teach us what to
do in the different weather conditions to ensure we are as safe as
possible. Many of the accidents that happen around where I live are
caused by speeding while it is raining or breaking too hard when it
is icy, so having drivers ed classes can really help in
reducing these accidents.

Not only are
deaths by driving caused by the weather, but also driving under the
influence of any drug. Driving under the influence of a drug alters
your mental and physical state and not only puts the driver at risk,
but all the other passengers in the car and all other people on the
road. Having somebody else drive you home is the easiest way to
prevent these deaths due to driving. Today, we have services like
Uber that takes drinking and driving out of the picture and keeps
everybody safe.

I personally have
not been in an accident that was due to people driving irresponsibly,
but I have heard many stories about the dangers of it. I am a
swimmer on my High school’s swim team and swim for our local swim
club and in 2001 there is a story of a swimmer that was driving
irresponsibly and unfortunately passed away from it. He was a great
swimmer that had good grades, great personality, and had a bright
future but due to his bad decision he had to pay the consequences.
He was speeding at night and collided with a tree and killed not only
himself but the other passengers in the car. Hearing these stories
helps me understand how important it is to never mix drinking a
driving. Knowing how your whole life could be ruined with one wrong
decision is something that I will always remember and instill in my
life every day.

The best way to become a safer driver is to take all of my knowledge
that I have been taught and do my best to implement it in my everyday
life. We have all been taught not to speed, follow the road signs,
and don’t drink and drive our whole life, but actually following
those rules is what makes me and other better drivers.