A Safer Place to Drive

Knowledge is the basis to be able to perform any daily tasks, this holds true about operating a vehicle. A doctor cannot perform surgery without knowing the steps of the procedure and a mechanic cannot fix a car without understanding all of the different parts. If drivers, especially younger drivers, are educated about driving and the rules of the road, less deaths will occur. In Wisconsin, for example, teens with fall and winter birthdays will have never driven in the snow when they receive their licenses. Winter conditions can be dangerous for new drivers and if students are educated about how to drive properly in the snow, ice, and slush, more accidents can be avoided and consequently, the number of deaths will go down. The more people know about what causes accidents, the less likely they are to partake in those actions. If students knew how many people died due to cell phone related crashes, accidents involving phones would start becoming less common. If adults understood how badly drinking impaired their driving and how many accidents are attributed to alcohol, they would be less likely to drive under the influence. The facts can be scary, most people do not want to be part of the statistics. To reduce overall driving deaths, the drivers education course can go into deeper detail about the issues that are causing accidents. In my experience, the teacher did a fantastic job explaining the rules and the mechanics, but did not emphasize accidents or the major causes of them. Now, in my third year of driving, I have seen for myself how accidents happen. Two years ago, a group of friends and me went to view the Christmas lights display at the Henry Vilas Zoo. On the way back to her house in the country, it started to snow heavily. Underneath the snow was a layer of ice that we could not see. My friend went to take a turn at the bottom of a hill, and when the car kept going straight, we realised there was no traction, but the realization was too late and we were sliding straight into a ditch. We landed quite a ways off the road, just inches from a massive tree. I was with that same friend during another incident when she was changing the song on her phone and ran over a mailbox, ripping off her right side mirror. What I can take away from these two incidents is that one can never be too safe when driving. A person is not above the weather nor are they capable of concentrating on their phones while they drive. Seatbelts save lives and are important in case an accident does occur. When riding with friends and family, always remind them of their seat belt, and to drive safely in the conditions, watch for deer, and stay off their phones. Change starts with one person; be the person that makes our roads a safer place to drive.