Driving can cause horrible accidents and even result in death, all the while accidents can be preventable. Reckless driving can be a fatal mistake for oneself and others. If reckless driving is reduced, the roads will become safer for everyone. Educating drivers about the importance of road safety and how to avoid reckless driving can create safer roads for people to drive on. For example, taking driver's education courses can help anyone improve their driving skills and prepare them for being on the roads along with eliminating distracted driving by taking steps as individuals and by enforcing laws against distracted and reckless driving.
I have been in a car accident before that was preventable. I was sitting in the passenger seat on the way to a doctor's appointment when we came upon a stop light that turned red. The person in front of us stopped their car and my mom slammed on the brakes narrowly making the stop when the person behind us hit the back of the car. We immediately pulled off into an empty parking lot as the person who hit our car followed. There was some damage to the back of our car and front of his. If the guy behind us had been paying more attention, none of the cars would have been damaged. Luckily he had been breaking, or the situation would have been much worse. This accident highlights the importance of being attentive and responsible while driving.
There are many other cases of accidents that could be preventable, including one that one of my friends was in. Her older sister was driving them both home at night when another car collided with theirs. The other driver had been driving while drunk. Both of them luckily maintained minimal injuries including bruising. While there were no major injuries, both of the sisters stayed home from school the next day. A trial was held and both of them were compensated with $10,000. This goes to show that reckless driving can not only result in physical consequences but also monetary if legal action is taken. If the other driver had made the smarter decision of not driving while intoxicated this situation would have been completely avoided.
A major step that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving is enforcing punishment for distracted driving. Enforcing laws that prohibit distracted driving such as driving while texting, calling, eating, and drinking, and while intoxicated. Is essential to make sure drivers understand the extent of the law when it comes to impaired driving could prevent unnecessary risk-taking actions that could potentially end in disaster. Including laws about driving while sleep-deprived, not wearing their required glasses or contacts, and driving under the influence of any substance that would impair them. Educating people and enforcing laws about the dangers of driving distracted and or impaired is vital to prevent more unnecessary fatalities. Preventing these actions will lead to safer roads and less fatalities.
There are multiple ways that the amounts of driving-related deaths can be reduced, and one of them is education. Driver education is extremely crucial in reducing the amount of reckless drivers and the amount of driving-related deaths. Educating young drivers is invaluable, as it can help them better understand how to properly maintain vigilance . Understanding what is important to notice and what to watch for while driving can help young drivers. Educating them on recognizing potential hazards and how to avoid getting into an accident. In-person and online driver education classes can be incredibly influential in shaping how new drivers view risk-taking behaviors when driving. I know that it has helped me become a better driver. Taking online and in-person driving courses has improved my understanding of what can be potential hazards and how to avoid getting in an accident. I apply the skills I learned in my everyday driving through constant checking of surroundings and possible ways to avoid crashing. Informing new drivers about how distracted driving can be the difference between a close call and a fatal accident is vital to improving the safety of the roads and has helped me improve the safety of the roads.
Steps I can personally take to be a better and safer driver are to make sure that I am not distracted by my phone. Sometimes I am tempted to change the music or to check to see why I got a notification. This is highly dangerous as it could put me in an avoidable situation resulting in a crash. Putting my phone away can help me to stop the temptation completely. Putting it in the glove box will keep it out of sight and help me to focus on the road. Another step would be to turn my ringer off so I would not be able to hear when I get notifications. Eliminating distractions by taking precautions will help me to keep my focus solely on driving safely.
I can also help others be safer on the roads by eliminating their distractions and reading things for them off their phones. Being their navigator and reading directions so the driver can focus can help them avoid jeopardizing my life and theirs by having them do it by themself when I could do it for them. The same can be done when it comes to music and texting. Eliminating distractions for others by handling the phone, reading texts, and adjusting music for them are both ways that I can help others not check their phones or be on them while driving. Another way that I can help others to become safer on the road is to refuse to get in the car with those under the influence and instead offer to drive or find someone who isn’t under the influence to drive. Refusing to put myself and others in danger by stopping someone from driving intoxicated helps improve road safety. I have driven my parents and their friends to events when they knew that they would need a designated driver to go home from it. Helping them is something that I do to keep the roads safer.
The importance of road safety cannot be overstated. Maintaining constant vigilance by eliminating distractions and educating new drivers is incredibly important. Keeping the roads safe can be done in many ways, including preventing reckless and intoxicated driving. This can be done through education and the enforcement of laws against these actions. Everyone can make a difference including those who don’t drive by helping those who do to stay focused on the road.