What I have learned throughout my years of being on the
road, is that car accidents do not discriminate, there are deaths of
both the old and young, from different walks of life. One of the
questions that come up with each accident is how it could have been
prevented. This is an important question, if people do not know how
to prevent accidents, then that will just add to more deaths, with no
end in sight. One way to limit these deaths is to stay informed. I
had taken a defensive driving class less than a year ago, and I was
glad that I did. One of the greatest lessons that the class taught me
was the way to prevent accidents will have to be in your hands
regardless of others. It taught me that although someone else may
cause an accident, because of distracted driving, driving under
influence, endless possibilities, it is your actions that can protect
yourself.

I have
seen some of my friends and family driving distracted; it was not
until my second year in high school that I learned the severity of
driving distracted. I attended a small high school, so everyone knew
everyone; it was a tight-knit community. So, when we learned that two
of the students that attended the school got into a car accident, the
whole school went quiet. It was serious enough that both students
were rushed to the hospital and would have to spend the rest of their
year in and out of the hospital room and physical therapy. Although I
did not know the two of them well, save a few conversations, the
reality and devastation of distracted driving hit me. Seeing my
friends and family, driving distracted, exponentially increasing
their chances of getting into an accident, has led me to urge others
to focus. The first step to being safe on the road is to be focused
on the road. Too many accidents are caused by having to send that
text, needing to make just one call, that one post that was demanding
your attention, and it will just be one second. Too many times, this
moment of distraction is their last alive. Many accidents are
preventable though.

The
second step is eliminating possible distractions. It is important to
focus solely on the road. The third step is to stay calm no matter
what happens on the road. Not every event that happens on the road is
predictable, but nearly every event can be handled calmly. When I
took a defensive driving class, I learned many invaluable lessons.
This class taught me that on the road, other drivers cannot be relied
upon to solve the situation and to act in a calm manner. Not all
other drivers on the road are safe drivers. It falls to each
individual driver to protect themselves and others and learning how
to take the proper steps in case of an emergency is the prime way to
avoid a possibly fatal accident.