Driver Education Initiative – Drivers: They Aren’t as Good as They Think

Katelyn
Haug

Class
of 2020

13
November 2019

Drivers:
They Aren’t as Good as They Think

For
many Americans, driving is an everyday part of life. Whether it is
driving to work, school, sports, or just running errands, driving is
very essential in our daily lives. However, death from car accidents
is one of highest ranked causes of death in America. This can be
detrimental, and it is very important to consider the safety and
precautions we can all take to ensure safety while driving. It is
important to educate yourself and other about driving safety so that
lives can be saved.

Driver
education is very important and can help reduce the number of deaths
from driving. The more educated people are about driver safety, the
lower the chances of getting into a wreck are. Driving education can
teach people how to drive safely and know how to handle cautious
situations while driving. It can teach Americans how to recognize a
situation that could potentially be dangerous and how they can handle
the situation before it becomes a wreck. Being educated can teach
people about the dangerous habits they might fall into while driving
and how serious the effects of this can be. Finally, it can help
people understand the consequences of reckless driving and how many
people die from driving accidents. It is very important to be
educated in driver safety to decline the number of deaths from
driving related accidents.

There
are many things people can do to reduce the number of deaths related
to driving. Some of these steps can include paying attention while
driving, putting down distractions, being aware of your surroundings,
and not driving under the influence. A major cause of car accidents
come from drivers not paying enough attention or being distracted. It
is important to focus on the road and be aware of what is happening
around you because the lives of people are at stake. Additionally,
not driving under the influence is crucial. It can impair judgement
and slow reaction time, making it far for likely for people to crash
into objects or other people. These are all critical steps that can
reduce the number of deaths from driving.

Personally,
I was in a car accident one time. Not a bad one, I just got rear
ended. The person that hit me said their brakes weren’t working as
well as they should be, which makes it very crucial to make sure
vehicles are working properly. I have friends that have been in more
dangerous accidents, including one who decided to drive under the
influence one night and hit a stop sign. I know of others that have
driven under the influence and fortunately not gotten into any
accidents. It is still very dangerous no matter how capable the
person thinks they are, and it can ruin their life down the line if
they were to cause an accident one day. Driving irresponsibly can
greatly increase the risk of getting into a car accident, potentially
a fatal one. It is important to drive responsibly to save lives.

I
know I am not the most perfect driver. There have been times where I
take my attention off the road for a second to change the radio or
talk to my friends in the car. Some steps I can take to be a better
driver are to pay more attention to my surroundings, not have music
as loud in the car, and slow down. I must admit, as a young teenager
I often fall into the habit of speeding, even sometimes for no
reason. I got a speeding ticket once and had to go to the Arrive
Alive class that teaches the dangers of reckless driving. It did
teach me a lot and I have slowed down most of the time, but there are
still times I need to think about it more and control my speed
better. I can help others become safer on the road by reminding them
to slow down if I see they are going to fast. Also, offering my
friends a ride home or finding them a designated driver or calling
them an Uber if I notice they are trying to drive while under the
influence. Finally, I can remind them of how much of an impact it
would have on them if they got into a deadly accident where either
they or someone else died from them driving recklessly. Overall, I
think it is super important that I take these steps to become a
better and safer driver, as well as help other become safer drivers.

Driver
safety is one of the most important things we can learn. With car
accidents being one of the lead causes of death for Americans it is
very important we consider how we can increase the safety of our
driving as well as encourage others to do the same. By spreading
awareness to the topic and following some of the key steps myself, we
can all work to reduce the amount of deaths caused by driving
accidents. Being educated on safe driving is very crucial to the safe
driving of everyone.