Last year I was in a car accident. The man who was at fault for the wreck claimed that me and my best friend were parked; which caused him to turn into our vehicle. Afterward he changed his story up and said that we did not have our headlights on and that he did not see us. It was not dark enough for headlights to be on. He was driving a borrowed pickup truck with a trailer attached to the back of it. We were riding a low riding vehicle. The front of his pickup was on the front of our vehicle. I remember seeing the smoke fill the car and immediately exiting it.
It was the first time me and my best friend had ridden in a vehicle together when one of us was driving. While it was a minor accident, there was still a big effect on my mental health. I found myself to be more anxious than ever. I began to find myself not wanting to drive and panicked when I was behind the steering wheel. Overall, it was a scary experience, but it makes me wonder who was at fault for this wreck. I am lucky that nobody was hurt.
Across the street from my highschool is a drivers education school. It is a private business that is owned by a teacher at my school. Not everyone at my school takes it. Everyday in my school parking lot I see many drivers making stupid decisions. It makes me believe that if driver's education was a required class at my school, I would not see these kids making stupid decisions. Drivers Education should be a nationally required course for highschools. It would make the roads a safer place for all drivers, especially since teenagers are prone to car accidents. This course should teach about right of way, road hazards, and the dangers of driving impaired or while under the influence. It should also have a focus on repairing a car and what to do in an emergency situation while driving. It would help better prepare drivers for what they will come across on the road and it will help make them better drivers. This will help prevent car accidents and fatalities caused by these car accidents.
As one person there are steps that I can take to make the road safer for myself and other drivers that I may encounter. For example while driving I can put my phone away and out of sight so I am not tempted to use it while I am driving. It would stop me from being distracted while I am operating a vehicle. It would lower the risk for not just myself but for other drivers. Additionally, I can require myself and my passengers in my vehicle to wear a seatbelt for the whole ride. If I were to get in a car accident. It would prevent me and my passengers from flying out of our seats during the impact of a car accident. A driver can also do research ahead of hitting the roads. They should look ahead for potential severe weather, construction on the roads, and other potential hazards that they may encounter while they are driving. It will help decide the best way to deal with these hazards before they get on the road.
The best and most important thing I can do to keep others and myself while driving is not to drive impaired. If I feel like my driving may be impaired due to lack of sleep, substances such as alcohol, or sickness; I can call someone who I can trust, like my mom. If they cannot come to pick me up, I can call an Uber. I can also refuse to let friends who are impaired behind the wheel and instead I can offer to drive them home. This simple action of offering a ride or calling someone that you trust can for a ride, can take drivers who are impaired off of the roads. It will make the roads safer for all drivers.
By requiring drivers education, it will make the youth better drivers and roads safer for all who are driving on them. If we all take small steps to make the roads safer, it can make a huge impact on the safety of all drivers. The actions we take in order to prepare and educate ourselves as drivers can save lives. It is up to everyone to ensure that our roads and highways are safe.