Every year roughly 42,000 people die from car related complications and another 800,000 are permanently injured. Being a safe driver is the responsibility of every driver. By participating in a driver’s education program, making smart choices when driving, and saying something when I think someone is driving irresponsibly, I can make the roads safer for everyone.
I took my driver’s education class with a friend, remotely during COVID. Understanding the rules of the road was straightforward, but I was nervous about actually getting behind the wheel. When I did my 6 hours behind the wheel before I got my driving permit, I was really grateful for the calm guidance and instruction from the driver’s education teacher. His patience helped me feel more confident as a driver.
Reducing the number of driving related deaths requires understanding what is causing the accidents. In researching this topic, distracted driving is the number one cause of fatal car accidents. I understand how that happens. We are all so used to having our phones in our hands that not having it can feel unfamiliar. Putting our phones somewhere we can’t access while we drive is a solution to this problem.
When I was taking my drivers ed class, we watched a video about dangerous behavior while driving. Excessive speeding was something they mentioned as a common cause of near-death experiences, injury, or death. The driver’s education teacher in a video we watched in class talked about his experience when he was in the car with his friend who is a state trooper. His friend was speeding excessively at 140 mph to catch someone on the highways at 86 mph. The teacher voiced his concern to his friend and potentially saved himself from getting seriously injured. Most people aren’t chasing someone with a police officer, so they should schedule their travel time, so they won’t feel like they need to speed. No one likes to be late, and some people are rushing to get somewhere and they may never arrive because their aggressive driving will cause an accident. Better time management and planning can help people not be in a rush.
Lastly, intoxicated drivers cause many preventable deaths. The most dangerous time to be on the roads is between 12-2 am on the weekends because many intoxicated drivers are trying to get home from a night out. If people weren’t using drugs or alcohol and then getting behind the wheel, the roads would be considerably safer. I have seen many advertisements encouraging people to get a ride instead of driving, but we can do more. Cars are so sophisticated, and they can tell if you are falling asleep at the wheel or if you are veering out of your lane. Why not have a required sensor in the car that the driver has to breathe into in order for the car to work. I’m sure there would be tremendous pushback, just like there was with other safety improvements, but I’m confident it would save lives.
I am very grateful that I have never been in a car accident, however I have seen other students at my school drive too fast, almost hit people in the parking lot, and drive aggressively. The friends I ride with are much more conservative drivers and I feel safe because they are paying attention to the road and sometimes won’t even talk to me if there is too much happening on the road.
I also learned that 67 percent of deaths of people between the ages 16-24 are in the car. This is because young drivers tend to make riskier decisions and think they are an exception to the rules, recommendations and regulations with driving. There are many things I can do to be a safer driver. First, make sure my vision is good by getting an annual eye exam. People often take their vision for granted, but that’s not so in my family, so I will make sure I can see, which is critical for being a safe driver. I will also minimize distractions. It is easy to get caught up in listening to music or a podcast and forget that your only job is to drive safely. I will ensure I am driving safely by eliminating distractions, like my phone and media. Lastly, I can be a safer driver by not driving when I’m tired. So, when I find myself struggling to focus on the road, I will take a break and only drive when I am rested and alert.
In my driver's education class, I learned that there is a very fine line between life and death when you have any sort of connection to a car. Even if you aren’t driving, just being a passenger with a distracted driver risks your life. If you text, eat, change the radio or listen to music while you drive you take your focus away from the road and bring yourself closer to that line. An important thing to remember is that even small mistakes can have big consequences. Being a safe driver when you first start driving requires you to be fully aware of your surroundings, make smart decisions and speak up if you see someone doing something dangerous.
I took my driver’s education class with a friend, remotely during COVID. Understanding the rules of the road was straightforward, but I was nervous about actually getting behind the wheel. When I did my 6 hours behind the wheel before I got my driving permit, I was really grateful for the calm guidance and instruction from the driver’s education teacher. His patience helped me feel more confident as a driver.
Reducing the number of driving related deaths requires understanding what is causing the accidents. In researching this topic, distracted driving is the number one cause of fatal car accidents. I understand how that happens. We are all so used to having our phones in our hands that not having it can feel unfamiliar. Putting our phones somewhere we can’t access while we drive is a solution to this problem.
When I was taking my drivers ed class, we watched a video about dangerous behavior while driving. Excessive speeding was something they mentioned as a common cause of near-death experiences, injury, or death. The driver’s education teacher in a video we watched in class talked about his experience when he was in the car with his friend who is a state trooper. His friend was speeding excessively at 140 mph to catch someone on the highways at 86 mph. The teacher voiced his concern to his friend and potentially saved himself from getting seriously injured. Most people aren’t chasing someone with a police officer, so they should schedule their travel time, so they won’t feel like they need to speed. No one likes to be late, and some people are rushing to get somewhere and they may never arrive because their aggressive driving will cause an accident. Better time management and planning can help people not be in a rush.
Lastly, intoxicated drivers cause many preventable deaths. The most dangerous time to be on the roads is between 12-2 am on the weekends because many intoxicated drivers are trying to get home from a night out. If people weren’t using drugs or alcohol and then getting behind the wheel, the roads would be considerably safer. I have seen many advertisements encouraging people to get a ride instead of driving, but we can do more. Cars are so sophisticated, and they can tell if you are falling asleep at the wheel or if you are veering out of your lane. Why not have a required sensor in the car that the driver has to breathe into in order for the car to work. I’m sure there would be tremendous pushback, just like there was with other safety improvements, but I’m confident it would save lives.
I am very grateful that I have never been in a car accident, however I have seen other students at my school drive too fast, almost hit people in the parking lot, and drive aggressively. The friends I ride with are much more conservative drivers and I feel safe because they are paying attention to the road and sometimes won’t even talk to me if there is too much happening on the road.
I also learned that 67 percent of deaths of people between the ages 16-24 are in the car. This is because young drivers tend to make riskier decisions and think they are an exception to the rules, recommendations and regulations with driving. There are many things I can do to be a safer driver. First, make sure my vision is good by getting an annual eye exam. People often take their vision for granted, but that’s not so in my family, so I will make sure I can see, which is critical for being a safe driver. I will also minimize distractions. It is easy to get caught up in listening to music or a podcast and forget that your only job is to drive safely. I will ensure I am driving safely by eliminating distractions, like my phone and media. Lastly, I can be a safer driver by not driving when I’m tired. So, when I find myself struggling to focus on the road, I will take a break and only drive when I am rested and alert.
In my driver's education class, I learned that there is a very fine line between life and death when you have any sort of connection to a car. Even if you aren’t driving, just being a passenger with a distracted driver risks your life. If you text, eat, change the radio or listen to music while you drive you take your focus away from the road and bring yourself closer to that line. An important thing to remember is that even small mistakes can have big consequences. Being a safe driver when you first start driving requires you to be fully aware of your surroundings, make smart decisions and speak up if you see someone doing something dangerous.
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