Name: Jayden Wiertzema
From: Breckenridge, Minnesota
Votes: 0
Jayden
Wiertzema
11/12/19
“Safe
Driving”
Most
people, in the course of their lifetime, will be involved in some
sort of accident or car crash. According to the “National
Safety Council”, there
were an estimated 40,000 deaths in 2018, related to car crashes alone
in the United States. So this question must be asked, how can we
reduce this number? How can we save more lives when it comes to our
careless driving?
Being
a native of Minnesota, I know how dangerous driving a vehicle can be.
I’ve driven when the roads are glazed in a layer of ice and I’ve
even driven in white out conditions. During the winter months it’s
very common to see people in ditches when it’s -20 below outside or
seeing people skid down the highway at dangerous speeds, swerving in
and out of their lane. Whether it’s in Minnesota or in the middle
of Alabama, there are always ways we can make our roads safer for
everyone.
The
first step I would give to new drivers is to always be a “
defensive driver.” This means to always pay attention to the road
and don’t let any distractions stray your focus. “ Defensive
driving” also means to never assume what other drivers will do on
the roads, and to especially watch out for distracted drivers. Being
on the defense while behind the wheel can greatly improve your safety
while driving. A great way to learn about defensive driving is to
take a driver’s safety class. In doing so, you can learn about some
scenarios you may encounter in your travels.
Another
way we can save lives on our highways is to take a walk around your
vehicle and inspect it for any hazardous problems such as worn tires,
or even damaged windows. I would recommend taking your vehicle to
have it inspected by a professional mechanic at least once a year,
before the weather takes a bad turn.
Ever
since 1968, vehicles have been required to have seatbelts. According
to the
Insurance Information Institute, seat
belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017. Even though wearing
seatbelts has been law for over 50 years, some may argue that wearing
seatbelts is an infringement on their rights.
Although
I have never been in an accident related to irresponsibility, it is
very common for me to see my peers driving on the road distracted
with their friends or even their cellphones. According to the
National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over
3,000 lives were lost in 2017 alone due to distracted driving. And
this problem is still growing. This is why I highly recommend turning
your phone completely off before you get behind the wheel.
In
conclusion, we all can do our part when it comes to highway safety.
It may take as little as five minutes to inspect our vehicles, and
this can go a long way to ensure our and others safety. And when it
comes to a person’s safety, everyone has a responsibility to do their
part.
“ Works
Cited”
Administration,
National. “U Drive. U Text. U Pay..” NHTSA. N. p., 2016.
Web. 30 Nov. 2019.
“Primary
Enforcement Of Seat Belt Laws | Motor Vehicle Safety | CDC Injury
Center .” Cdc.gov. N. p., 2019. Web. 30 Nov. 2019.
Road,
On et al. ” Fatality Estimates .” Nsc.org. N. p., 2019.
Web. 30 Nov. 2019.
