In the Driver's Seat

My mom always told me and until this day I can hear her say it, “driving is a privilege, not just something that you earn.” Driving can be one of the easiest things to do, yet a dangerous one iif not careful. Something that I have learned as a driver is that you can never stop learning. That is why we are provided with a tool such as drivers ed; to provide the knowledge and understanding that the person behind the wheel must have. For example, learning who has the right of way in an intersection and when it is safe to cross a red light when making a turn where permitted. Furthermore, you are taught the attitudes a responsible driver should have when being on the road; for instance knowing how to react if an accident occurs or a situation that requires your immediate response. All of these things contribute to the decrease in number of deaths related to driving. There are so many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. One of these includes alcohol. Do not drive if you know that you will be drinking that day. I believe this is the most important step that we can take; we have no idea how many lives we can save if we follow this. You save someone else from dying and even further you save yourself from dying. Another step that we can take is to follow the rules given related to streets and highways, like following the speed limits posted. We cannot even imagine how many pedestrians trust that they are safe crossing when it is their turn, until a car is driving over the speed limit and is not able to stop. Here is where drivers ed comes in as well; we are taught to follow the speed limits at all times. I took drivers ed and one of the things that the instructor could not stress enough was to keep the speed at the speed that the street or highway required. Thankfully, I have never been in a dangerous driving situation. One time, a friend decided to “play” with the brakes of his car while he was close to a traffic light. He was joking around with the passenger of the car, while breaking every few seconds. Suddenly, in a matter of seconds he hit the bumper of the car in front of him. We can all take steps to be safe and better drivers. These steps include wearing the seat belt, ignoring electronic devices while driving, being aware of our surroundings, following the rules put in place and educating others about the dangers of careless driving.