Driving safely is very important. There are so many car accidents that happen every day, and many other ones that we never hear about. I personally have only been in one accident myself, although everyone around me has also seen at least one throughout their life, including my father, grandmother, significant other, sister, and my mother. These have all been very scary situations; both as a participant and observer. While these experiences were definitely nerve-wracking, they pale in comparison to most of the unfortunate incidents that are seen every day.
During the month of February this last year was when I had had my first accident. As I drove along an overpass, a driver had come speeding onto the exit, failed to yield, and while looking for directions over the phone, drove directly into my driver-side door. Many steps could have been taken in this situation in order to prevent the incident from happening. I believe one of the largest steps anyone can take towards becoming a better driver is to enroll yourself within a driver's educational course. Whether enrolling yourself in a beginners class, or a professional evasive maneuvers class, any level of practice for any given situation would be much preferred.
Another strategy that could be successful in reducing the number of crashes in driving would be to encourage my peers and family members to drive safer when I am around them. It is one thing to hear that you should be driving safely from an instructor, but when it’s a member of your family who loves you dearly, it can be hard to ignore the warning. My grandmother for example could be encouraged to take driver's education classes. While she was not found to be at fault in many of the wrecks and accidents that have happened recently, someone who has been involved in so many fender benders lately may not have the emergency reflexes that they had once had. Her latest car wreck was so bad that my grandmother had broken her foot and had to attend physical therapy classes for many months. The other driver was found at fault, due to the fact that they were trying to pass a car and in turn, had caused a head on collision with my grandmother. With better practices from both parties, the entirety of the incident could have been avoided.
An additional strategy that could prove to be effective in creating safer roads could be to encourage drivers to have their eyesight, hearing, and reflexes checked before renewal of their licenses. My grandmother for example does not wear glasses (but in my opinion, she should!), so I believe it would be best if she at least got her eyes checked every few years or so, just to ensure that she is able to see at long distances while driving. I, along with my significant other, have my eyesight and hearing checked every other year to ensure that I am always exerting my best efforts while on the road. It is very important to remember that it is never only your own life at risk when you are ever getting behind the wheel of a car. You are also responsible for the other lives that are within, and even those who are close to the vehicle
It is up to each individual to do their part in order to make these roads a safer place. No matter how good of a driver you may perceive yourself to be, there are always steps that you could be taking in order to become a better driver. While I may already have my eyesight and hearing checked on a regular basis, I intend on taking some steps to improve my reflexes and critical thinking skills while behind the wheel. I intend on enrolling myself in some advanced driver’s education courses such as perhaps a defensive driving or an evasive maneuvers class. What else I intend to do in the future is to be more diligent in encouraging my loved ones and peers to drive safely. It is quite often when I see my significant other or friends driving fast. When I see others driving unsafely, it is just as much my responsibility as it is theirs, to remind them to slow down and take more caution to their surroundings. Nobody on their own is perfect, but by helping each other every day, we can achieve near excellence.
In conclusion, there are three major steps that can be taken in order to reduce the number of fatalities that we see every day on our roadways. The first step could be to encourage those who are around you to drive safely. Be it a neighbor, a parent, or a sibling, I believe everyone could stand to hear the words “drive safely” a bit more often. A second action that could potentially be taken would be the requirement of testing one's senses and reflexes before the administration of a license. Be it your first license or your 10th license, we should be ensuring our physical and mental capabilities before handing out permission to operate such a dangerous piece of machinery. The final step we could use in order to ensure everyone is driving safely is requiring a driver's education test for beginners. Additional classes would be preferred, as even I intend to enroll myself in some of these additional classes, but at the current moment I believe it to be simply too easy to obtain a driver’s license. I want to do my part in making these roads a safer place, don't you?