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Raymonde Smith

Naturally, increased education and personal knowledge make us better prepared and experienced enough to know how to act in an unexpected situation. When people are more educated and more aware of the dangers that can come with a lack of proper training, they are less likely to make mistakes that can endanger themselves and everyone else on the road.
Vital steps an educated driver should take to reduce deaths related to driving include making sure they are fully prepared and at ease before driving. This means putting away any distractions (electronics, food, etc.) and being in the right state of mind before operating a vehicle. That means making sure we are not under the influence, sleep-deprived, or experiencing any strong emotions that can cause us to act impulsively while driving. These might be simple steps, but many fail to realize how important such little details are, and how much something as simple as mild road rage could have a catastrophic impact.
I spend a lot of time with people who have years of experience while driving. Even though they each understand the basics of road safety, and have personal knowledge to back themselves, I still notice the common yet unsafe habits they display that could put us all at risk. Some of these habits are driving under the influence, diverting their attention elsewhere, and playing their music loudly. Listening to music is a casual, everyday activity, however, when played at unsafe volumes, it is typically accompanied by faster driving and loud singing, thereby dividing the driver's attention and reducing their reaction time in the case of an emergency. Additionally, if an emergency vehicle is passing by but the driver is unable to hear it, this can potentially cause a fatal accident, or prevent the workers from accessing their destination in time.
When it comes to driving under the influence, some fail to understand that even if they are slightly intoxicated, they are still putting their life and the lives of others at risk. They do not realize that regardless of how they feel, their judgment may still be impaired. Accidents caused by these simple mistakes can easily be prevented if everyone is made more aware of these common wrongdoings.
A step I can take to help those around me be safer and more cautious on the road is to call them out when I notice they are doing something that could put us in harm's way. When people have more experience, or they have gained too much confidence in themselves, it can cloud their judgment. Some may get too comfortable, feeling as if they always know what is best, and they become less vigilant and less aware of the fact that accidents can still occur, especially when there are other drivers on the road.