The moment you turn on your car and step on the gas, you carry a massive responsibility. Not only are you responsible for the safety of those in your car, but you are responsible for the safety of other drivers on the road.
You would not go into a major test without reading the rules, nor a sports game to a sport you do not know the rules to. Driving is not any different, in fact it is even more important because now the consequences could be someone’s life. Drivers Education allows you to know the rules of the road before ever getting behind the wheel. Knowing how to recognize street signs and road laws is crucial for being a safe driver.
Just as important as knowing a rule is knowing why it is there. Drivers Education provides a course designed to prevent intoxicated driving, and in this course the devastating consequences of road accidents are discussed. Death is only one if the horrific outcomes. Car accidents can lead to permanent injury to yourself, a friend, family member, or another person you collided with. Head injuries can cause permanent mental disability. Other injuries caused by impact, seatbelts locking, or airbags can lead to painful and sometimes debilitating injuries, including injuries to your spinal cord which can cause paralysis. This is not the only consequence that can have a severe effect on your life. Punishments for vehicular manslaughter and accidents you caused can lead to prison sentences of up to 15 years, and that is if you obeyed all following laws and have no previous track record. For many young drivers, this is almost their entire life so far gone in a flash to be behind bars and will affect any job opportunities following your release from prison All your hard work to go to college and get the job of your dreams could become meaningless in an instant.
To protect yourself and everyone around you from car accidents, the rules you are taught in drivers Education are to be followed. All road laws are designed to keep the flow of traffic and prevent collisions. A rule that is annoying to you may have saved countless lives. This includes not driving while intoxicated or distracted. Driving while drunk is the cause of 31% of accidents. Alcohol and other drugs impair your alertness, vision, and cause you to be more impulsive. While driving, this is a deadly trio of problems that can cause accidents. Distracted driving such as being on your phone or messing around with a friend is the cause of 8% of accidents. Your full attention should always be on the road. Things happen very suddenly while driving; we have all had to slam on the brakes at some point due to a bad driver or animal in the road. Just one look away can cause you to miss a critical concern, and being alert can protect you from the devastating consequences of car accidents.
I have a personal experience with an accident that could have ended worse than it did. I attempted to make a U-turn at an area near the beach, and while I was mid turn a man on a bicycle ran into me. Looking back, there were things I could have done to avoid the accident such as being more alert as to who was coming and making my turn quickly without too much hesitation. This accident was also partially caused by his own distraction, as he could have noticed his own red light or even me making the turn and could have slowed down. I am just lucky the accident only resulted in minor injuries to him and minor damage to my dad’s car. Had he been going faster he could have hit my car with more impact, which could have caused him significant injury. He could have been injured to the point of needing an ambulance, and once emergency services came, I could have gotten a ticket at best, at worst criminal charges. Had the roles been reversed I could have struck him with my car, which would have caused him severe injury or even death and could lead me with vehicular manslaughter charges. This incident shows that everyone is responsible for the safety of others on the road, and that an instant of awareness can prevent serious accidents.
There are actions we all can take to become safer drivers. Something I know I need to work on is my attention to the road. I sometimes get lost in thought while driving, which can lead to a lack of alertness. As I have heard and read about as well as witnessed firsthand, a second of distraction can change your life forever. Something I can do to help my friends and family drive better is keep sharing the message of road safety and point out dangerous activity when another person is driving. Something my story as well as worse road accident stories has to teach is that road safety is not a joke, and drivers Ed exists to help prevent death, injury, and criminal charges.