Recklessness

Road safety is something that everyone, young and old, should be concerned with. Whether or not someone can drive themselves, it is always important to be alert when inside a vehicle or around one. Motor accidents happen every day, in both low-traffic and high-traffic areas. Knowing how to operate a motor vehicle safely can be useful in attempting to avoid accidents and remain safe. While accidents can range from a car going off the road to a ten-car pile-up, each accident is important in its own way, as anything can happen. When drivers are educated in driving safety and actively partake in the practices, the roads become a much safer place for everyone. 

There are a multitude of different precautions to take when driving, each one aiding in the safety of everyone involved. Being attentive and keeping an eye on not only the road, but the cars and the surrounding areas. The situation someone is driving in can change in an instant, and being alert is extremely important. Following speed limits and right-of-way are good safety practices. While driving, it is good practice to be a defensive driver rather than an offensive one. When behind the wheel, it can be easy to forget simple things or not notice who has the right-of-way. In scenarios like this, it is better to be safe than sorry. One never wants to rush driving, as that is when it becomes dangerous. Taking your time and letting other people go when you are unsure, along with following road laws, is a great way to stay safe while driving. 

Just around a month ago, I myself was in a car accident. I was going to the mall with two of my friends, their mom, and their sister. We were driving in a truck, with my two friends and me in the back seat, the mom driving, and the sister in the passenger seat. We were sitting at a red light, with a little white car in front of us. The light turned green, and the car started moving, so my friend’s mom took her foot off the brakes. While the white car was in the intersection, an ambulance that was stopped at the stoplight turned on its sirens and lights. This caused the white car to slam on it’s breaks in the middle of the intersection. Thus, in turn, causing the truck we were in to collide with the rear end of the white car. The woman driving the car was being uncooperative with my friend’s mother and refused to talk to her. When she finally pulled off into a parking lot and out of the intersection, she continued to be difficult.

A police officer and an ambulance were called. Thankfully, no one in the truck was injured, and if the people in the white car were, they refused treatment. The truck faced some minor damage, and the white car’s trunk didn’t close properly. Besides that, nothing too major, but everyone was definitely shaken up. While that is a difficult situation ot be in, quick decisions and paying attention to your surroundings can be beneficial to help you stay safe while driving. When in more populated areas, there are more things to pay attention to and therefore more chances for an accident to occur.

To be a better driver myself, I make sure that I take my time. Ever since the accident, I’ve been making sure to take my time more at stoplights and not to get too close to the person in front of me. While being in the passenger seat, if someone gets too close to the car in front of them, it tends to make me nervous. Not forgetting the incident and learning from it is a good way to make sure that in the future the people I’m around and I will be safer. Having experience helps, because it makes sure I understand the importance of being safe on the road. I also drive defensively, letting other people have the right-of-way when I think they’re driving a bit recklessly. I also take my time when joining heavy traffic, being a cautious driver. The most dangerous part of driving isn’t necessarily how you yourself drive but how the people around you do. You can’t stop how recklessly others drive; you can only try to counteract it. If everyone simply followed road laws and didn’t make stupid decisions while driving. People speed too often around people who don’t, causing an irregular flow of traffic. While it should be easy to follow the rules of the road, many people drive recklessly and endanger themselves and the people around them.