Every
single day, millions of drivers take to the roads to go from one
destination to another. The drivers exceed the speed limit; go right
on red lights that they are not supposed to; and run through yellow
lights. While many drivers drive with the mindset: “there is no
police around to catch me,” the consequences of being a negligent
driver may be more severe than getting a ticket.

When
I was 16, I took drivers ed to be informed on laws of the
road. When I was in drivers ed, I learned about laws that had
changed recently, and how important it is to stay safe on the road.
When I was driving, however, I noticed that I was the only person who
was following the recent laws, such as the hand held cell phone ban
on all drivers. In Connecticut, no drivers can be on a hand-held
device, but as I drove, my driving instructor would point out all of
the people on their hand-held phones and how long it would take them
to start a crash--less than one single second. One small swerve and
it would turn into a big crash.


Not
only is texting while driving dangerous, sleeping while driving is
dangerous. Many times while driving, I have not been as focused as I
should have been, due to lack of sleep, and I sometimes find my mind
drifting off of the road. While I haven’t been in any accidents, it
is a safety violation for anyone to be slightly tired on the road.
This can lead to long periods of being unfocused and can lead to
potential crashes.


For
everyone to be a better driver, be sure to check and follow the speed
limit. Also, be sure to leave your for your destination a little
early, as some car crashes happen because drivers are late to their
destination and decide to drive much faster than the designated speed
limit. Make sure that your cell phone is on Do Not Disturb. This
helps because any text that comes in will automatically get a
response from the cell phone saying that you are driving. Anytime I
get this response from a friend, I automatically stop texting them
because I know they are on the road.


Being
a safe driver is imperative to your life and others on the road. Make
sure you are focused, off your cell phone, and keeping both eyes on
the road. One tip I learned in drivers ed is that driving is a
privilege, not a right. Be sure to not abuse this privilege, lest
your license be taken away, or you harm others who are in vehicles.