Driving is a really big deal. Where I live you can get your license
at 15 years old, which means high school sophomores and even freshman
are often out on the roads trying out their new found freedom. When I
first began drivers ed I was so excited because soon I would never
have to ask for rides and I could go wherever I wanted, whenever I
wanted to. Not long after I began the course however, I realized that
with the freedom of driving came a lot of responsibility. Drivers
Education not only taught me how to drive, but it taught me the
importance of being responsible and prepared every time I got behind
the wheel.

Preventing
wrecks isn’t rocket science. Nearly all causes of car accidents can
be prevented by simply being responsible and prepared in your
driving. The leading cause, distracted driving, can be avoided
through being responsible and making a plan before starting your
drive. This plan could include adjusting mirrors before beginning
your drive and putting your phone on “do not disturb”. These
simple actions may seem like nothing, but even the smallest
distractions at the wrong moment could lead to fatal disasters.
Another important part of driving is preparing for all possible
circumstances. Last winter, I was involved in an accident where a
lady who had never had any experience driving on icy roads began
sliding and stopped in the middle of the road. The vehicle I was in
could not stop in time due to the road conditions and we collided.
Fortunately, no one was severely hurt, but the wreck could’ve been
avoided if the lady had been prepared and learned how to handle
winter conditions before driving in them.

The roads we drive on would be much safer if everyone would simply
follow the two rules of being responsible and being prepared. In the
United States alone, over 10,000 people die per year as a result of
someone carelessly driving while under the influence of alcohol. The
National Safety Council reported that 1.6 million crashes per year
are caused by people using cell phones while driving. These are both
examples of the danger in irresponsible driving. Other irresponsible
actions are driving without a legal license, eating, changing the
radio station, the list goes on. All these actions, whether big or
small, can lead to harmful consequences for not only oneself but
others driving on the road around them. The biggest way to keep
yourself from making these mistakes, and to be safe when others make
harmful driving decisions, is to be prepared. Prepare for what you
will do when you come across a drunk driver, or even just an
irresponsible one, and prepare yourself form being that irresponsible
driver by putting away distractions, adjusting your car before
heading onto the road, etc. These two simple concepts, responsibility
and preparedness, are not hard to follow, but can save thousands of
lives if we obey them.