in your drivers seat

sitting behind the wheel of a car can provide a sense of freedom. With a car, one can drive to school, to work, to friends’ houses, to the mall, and to more places as they grow more independent. I know the feeling of freedom as a young and responsible driver with a Honda Civic. However, behind the wheel of a car comes an immense responsibility that is far greater than driving oneself from point A to point B. Drivers should be aware of the responsibilities that come along with operating a motor vehicle.

Driving is a task that people commonly become very familiar and comfortable with, and after years of driving, pulling out of one’s driveway, shifting gears in and out, waiting at a stoplight, and turning onto a new road become second nature.

Comfort and familiarity with driving can prove to be extremely dangerous because when a driver forgets that the road is shared by everyone on it.

When I get behind the wheel of my car, the Civic, I am not the only person on the road who has a life to live. I must consider the safety of other drivers, passengers, bicycles, people walking, motorcycles, and entire families. I can only control my ability to be a safe driver; I have no control of the ability of every other person on the road to drive safely.

Defensive driving and awareness on the road are essential.

It is easy to get distracted on the road, and cell phones are very common distractions.

I consider my phone to be one of the worst distractions because it comes so close to my person, and it is never far from my sight when I am riding in the car. Notifications, messages, and social media updates seem like great things to stop and look at for a few seconds, but in just a few seconds, a car can travel a very long way.

No text, notification, song, or video is worth losing one’s life over. If I do not like the ringtone of an incoming call, it can wait until I am stopped at a red light or pulling into a parking lot.

Passengers can also be a distraction, and this is very common among younger drivers. Friends are often excited to ride along in the car with one another, but a ride along can also be very dangerous if one’s friends are distracting him or her.

Sometimes it is necessary to put one’s foot down and remind passengers to allow the driver to focus on the road. If a friend is a good friend and truly wants to spend time with me, he or she will understand that arriving safely is more important than stopping to talk for a few seconds.

Many people tend to speed unnecessarily on the road. Speeding may seem harmless and fun, but it can also be one of the most dangerous and irresponsible things that a driver can do.

Speeding takes away a driver’s ability to stop in time if another vehicle pulls out in front of him or her. Observing the posted speed limits on the road is not a sign of an unsafe or inconsiderate driver; it is a sign of a responsible and educated driver.

Being an educated driver does not mean that one has simply passed a driver’s ed exam and is now free to cruise down any road in the state at any speed. An educated driver should know that the laws regarding driving are in place for everyone’s safety, and being late or speeding up an entire road of traffic is never worth putting someone’s life in danger.

An educated driver should continue to learn and grow in his or her knowledge of the road even after receiving his or her license.

Receiving a driver’s license is not the end of driving education; in fact, it should only signify the beginning. Conditions of the road, the weather, traffic, road construction, unfamiliar territory, and emergency situations all require a level of driving knowledge and experience that only comes by actually spending time on the road. A responsible and educated driver continues to receive education behind the wheel of a car and through the mistakes of others in order to become safer and more experienced on the road. Knowing the law and its requirements are important, but knowing the reasons and logic behind the law is even more important.

Having a car also entails the responsibility of maintaining the car. A driver must not only maintain the appearance of the car but must also maintain the car’s safety.

Tires, breaks, and lights all play a role in the general safety of a car, and a driver must ensure that all of these parts are functioning properly. A driver cannot control the skills and attitudes of other drivers on the road, but he or she can control the condition of his or her car. Maintaining the car that I drive, the Honda Civic, is yet another responsibility that comes along with driving.

The most important factor in driving is simply the fact that millions of Americans are killed every year in car-related accidents. Behind every statistic is a real person with real family and real friends, and a real future.

It is very easy to see the statistic and become desensitized to the fact that one of our peers was just killed on our road. If that person was a friend, however, the statistic would suddenly mean something very personal and real to us. A driver must always remember that he or she has the power to save lives.

Being in the driver’s seat is a position of tremendous power and responsibility because nobody is going to stop one for the driver, take the phone out of his or her hand, pay attention for the driver, or keep the proper distance between cars for the driver. It is these small, everyday decisions that ultimately decide the safety of the driver and everyone else on the road. That is what I believe being an educated, safe, and responsible driver is all about. My Honda Civic may symbolize my freedom, but it also reminds me that freedom and independence come with a degree of responsibility. I want my freedom on the road to open new doors for me, not close them, and I believe that every driver behind the wheel of a car should think this way. After all, a car must not only take a driver to his or her destination; it must allow him or her to get there safely and allow the people around him or her the same ability.