I remember when I took my driver's education course. My brother and I both took it at the same time and out of the eight hours we were there, three of those hours were spent watching car crash videos that discussed fatalities due to car accidents and reckless driving. As a person who already had worries about driving I was even more dismayed to find out that South Carolina, the state in which I live, is at the top of the car wreck statistics. Now that I have my license and I am driving almost every day, it disheartens me to drive by accidents and hear the sirens speeding by me on the road. Driver education is vital not only for teaching our youth how to drive safely and cautiously but also for informing new drivers of the dangers of the road and other drivers.
One of the main takeaways I took from the class was that how I drive is only one factor in how safe I am while on the road. Even the best drivers with perfect records face the risk of death when entering their vehicles. When I was participating in the driving portion of my driver education, my instructor put a lot of emphasis on defensive driving. I was taught the importance of maintaining a substantial following distance, consistently checking all my mirrors, and coasting. As a new driver, these techniques have allowed me to drive safely, and also help relieve the stress I had previously felt while driving. Defensive driving is one of the best ways we can reduce the number of deaths that result on the road.
Increasing the punishment for texting while driving and establishing ways other distractions can be limited is another step that could be taken to reduce driving fatalities. So many times when I am on my way to school I get stuck behind a car that is swaying side to side and breaking erratically. Once I can switch lanes and pull up past the car, they are almost always on their phones, faces down not even paying attention to the traffic in front of them. Another distraction that I experienced was the radio. I understand that especially while on long drives, music is a way for the time to pass by. However, I believe that music and other sounds on the radio should stray away from utilizing sirens, honking, and other alert noises. On the radio station in my vehicle one of the frequently played advertisements contained loud beeping noises used to get people's attention. The beeping distracted me and made me think I was being honked the first time I heard it. Needless to say, I no longer listen to that radio station because I knew it would continue to act as a distraction for me while driving. Eliminating distractions while diving is vital for preventing vehicle-related deaths.
I understand how irresponsible driving can result in fatalities. My mother who is an incredibly cautious and focused driver was hit on the highway around a year ago. The person who hit her was distracted and not paying attention to the road in front of her. If the driver had paid attention, my mom's car would not have been totaled and she would not have faced physical pain months after the crash. Even now nearly a year after the event she still faces stress and fear while driving despite her decades of experience. Car accidents are so common, which allows people to maintain the mentality that it won't happen to them. However, it can and will happen when it is least expected. When my mom went out that afternoon I am sure she did not think she was going to get into a wreck. For this reason, driver education and steps taken to limit distracted driving are crucial.
I make sure that I am constantly driving defensively and without distractions. When I am driving, I check my mirrors frequently. In all types of traffic, I maintain a following distance of approximately ten seconds, increasing the amount during difficult conditions such as rain and fog. Instead of breaking spontaneously when traffic is moving slowly, I coast. While driving I put my phone on vibrate and do not touch it until I have completely stopped the vehicle. Any music I play in the car is absent of any distracting noises that may influence how I am driving. While on the road, I put on my turn signal early and respect other drivers. Driver's education gave me valuable insight into driving and has enabled me to drive safely and defensively, allowing me to do my part in preventing driving-related deaths.