2022 Driver Education Round 2
Take Initiative While Driving
Dayyan Shahid
Cincinnati, Ohio
Taking initiative while driving will greatly reduce the risk of getting into a fatal car accident. Some examples of this initiative will be to remove distractions or possible actions that will cause your eyes to be off the road. The biggest distraction in this world is possibly phones while driving. It is your responsibility to have the phone somewhere safe in the vehicle and out of your hand. If you need the phone for navigation purposes, be sure to buy a secure phone mount so your eyes and hands can focus primarily on driving and staying safe. Even a water bottle rolling around in the passenger’s footwell can create a potential danger to you and other drivers on the road. Although not so seemingly dangerous, looking down and reaching for a water bottle while driving can cause you to accidentally steer in either direction of oncoming traffic. Be sure to secure all belongings and stay diligent on the road. One of the most selfish reasons on the road that may cause accidents or potential death would be road rage. We all get upset some days, but risking your life and others on the road is not excusable. Staying calm and collected will be key in getting out of these situations. Practicing patience will ensure everyone gets home safely.
I have witnessed some of my peers get into an accident. My friends and I tend to enjoy going to car meets and car shows. Unfortunately, some of these car events can get out of hand primarily due to peer pressure. During this meet, two vehicles lined up at a red light and began revving their engines. Multiple people then began to chant, taunting these two individuals to race. The moment the light turned green, both vehicles lurched forward to get ahead of the other. Sadly, one of the individuals lost control of their vehicle and smashed into a light pole. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the situation could have easily gone in a much worse direction or all together could have been avoided.
A few crucial steps to decrease possibly endangering safety on the road would include staying attentive, practicing patience, and making good decisions. Attentiveness has been decreased from drivers due to modern technology in cars with their safety sensors and rear view cameras. These are amazing technological advances, but will only be useful if the driver also is using their mirrors and basic knowledge of safety on the road along with the technology. Practicing patience may seem like something that has been told since childhood, but the action of being patient is tougher than it seems. Allowing your anger to take over on the road will endanger you and others on the road. Keeping your emotions in check will allow everyone, including yourself, to get to their home safe and sound. Making good decisions such as buying a phone mount, putting your phone on do not disturb, even a simple volume check on your stereo can all lead up to making better decisions for how you drive and making each mile on the road safer. You only have one life, do not play with it on the road.
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