Are you willing to risk your own life, or to risk another being’s life?

How often have you been angered over a slow driver? Maybe you’re late for work because your alarm, once again, did not go off, and you’re scheduled for a very important meeting. Sometimes you wish they’d get out of your way! You might honk your horn at them, yell at them, or even speed by them while staring daggers at them. Sometimes we let our emotions gain control over our situation. But it is important to be level-headed while driving. There are thousands of people on the road, getting to and from work. People can become desperate and try to race the clock. People often stuck in heavy traffic can become emotionally heightened, easily angered, and a danger to themselves and others on the road. It is important to remain calm and avoid road rage. The situations we may find ourselves in are out of our control. It is important to maintain a calm demeanor to keep ourselves focused on the road and help us avoid reckless drivers and other hazards. We should not allow minor inconveniences or annoyances to escalate into dangerous behaviors such as tailgating or speeding. According to The Zebra, “Over a seven-year time period, more than 200 murders and 12,000 injuries were attributed to road rage.” Not only can a life-altering decision affect your life, but also the lives of many others, especially innocent ones. We should not allow people raging on the road to cloud our rational decision-making.

Driving recklessly, swerving into other lanes, or not respecting the traffic lights just for fun can lead to your death. While driving, we should all always wear a seat belt. Seat belts protect our lives and stop us from flying out of cars. According to Safety Restore, seat belts work with airbags. Seat belts act as the primary restraint that secures us in place after a crash; airbags act as supplemental cushions and prevent us from hitting hard surfaces. Both airbags and seat belts are coordinated to deploy effectively to save our lives.

Another important rule to follow is traffic light laws. Traffic light rules require drivers to come to a complete stop at a solid red light. If you’re planning to turn, make sure there is not a red arrow; if there is one, remain stopped until the red arrow light turns green. The traffic light requires drivers to drive cautiously and eventually stop at a yellow light; the light is about to turn red. A green traffic light signals a driver to “Go.”

It is important to know and adhere to these essential driving laws. Driving at or below the speed limit, wearing a seat belt, and properly signaling when changing lanes make a responsible driver. For more information regarding laws and rules of the road, read Section 7 of the California Driver’s Handbook.

There are many ways our health can affect our driving and, therefore, our safety behind the wheel. Our vision is very important for driving. While driving, we should be able to see an obstacle on the road. While switching lanes, we should be able to see how close or far other cars are. While exiting the freeway, we should be able to read the exit signs. The information a driver receives from their eyesight is essential. Not being able to see a person walking right in front of you while driving could result in death or serious injury. As a driver, it is very important to have your eyes checked. The California Driver’s Handbook states, “You must be able to notice hazards in different types of lighting, judge distances, adjust to traffic speed, and read road signs.” If you are worried about your vision, contact your insurance provider, who will direct you to an optometrist. I have recently noticed that when looking at a distant object, my eyes get blurry. I must get my eyes checked and wear glasses prescribed to me. By doing so, I become a responsible driver.

Another important factor for driving is our hearing. Before you see an ambulance, you first hear its sirens. When ambulances, fire trucks, or police are called for an emergency, their sirens are activated; they signal other vehicles on the road to pull over, to the side, and stop, allowing the emergency vehicles the right-of-way and a safe pass. It is important to have our ears checked, for they are critical while driving; they act as an early warning to our vision. It is illegal to wear headsets or earplugs; both ears should not be covered while driving. As the California Driver’s Handbook states, drivers should be able to hear “horns, sirens, motorcycles, or screeching tires that may alert you of hazards.” It is important to have minimal conversation while driving; to ensure you can clearly hear external sounds, the music on our stereo should be at a low volume; and our windows should be kept up to minimize the disruptive wind noise. Proper hearing helps keep us safe and ensures a faster reaction time.