Kristian Estby 6-3-2020 Driving is serious, lives are at stake and there is just about no room for error. There are many people who acquire licenses and do not understand how to safely operate a vehicle. These same people do not understand that driving does not only affect them but people around them. There are many steps we can take to become better drivers, just as before this will not only affect yourself but those around you. Driving is serious and should be taken as such. There are many courses offered by all types of establishments that offer driver training. There are drivers ed and traffic schools more specifically that target everyday driving. When I turned 18 I took a traffic school course to better understand how attitudes affect a driver's actions. I personally believe change starts with the individual. Drivers ed is an excellent way to educate the individual on how to take care of themselves and will help ensure they do not endanger others. Even though driver training is an excellent way to prevent road accidents on your end, others can be misinformed or untrained. I recently was in an accident that was 100% not my fault. It fractured my pelvis in three places, fractured and missing teeth, and also a disconnected urethra. I had to relearn how to walk, needed plastic surgery and thankfully the rare and virtually impossible job of fixing my urethra healed on its own which is an even less likely circumstance. I was extremely lucky but, not everything revolves around how safe you can be. Whenever something so catastrophic happens at the hands at someone else it is easy to lose hope and/or confidence. I personally stopped believing that people know or even have an understanding on how to drive safely. Now when I drive, I move and believe that every car can cause an accident. I now drive with a mentality of “every car is out to get me.” It is not practical but it definitely works. Working on making sure the lanes next to the one you are moving into is clear before merging, looking over your shoulder before merging, and checking intersections every time you pass. Driving is serious, more people are affected than who is in your car and the other car involved. It’s exponential. There are many ways to get better at driving, but regardless of your own skill and practice, the unexpected can and possibly will happen. It is still important to build your own skill to prepare or be ready. There are so many more factors in driving but being defensive while building your own skill is the best way to go.