the importance of safe driving

Cheyanne Sapp

Driving safety

For as long as I can remember, my family members have always told me how important it is to be a safe driver. Even when I was younger, I used to pay attention to how my parents drove around, making sure that they were following all the rules. Now that I'm old enough to drive, I can see why they were so persistent on engraving safety rules in my brain. Car accidents happen all the time, even as frequent as every 16 minutes. Being irresponsible while driving can change your life in a matter of seconds, whether it's from not wearing your seatbelt, or harmlessly checking a text you just received. Every small detail matters, and everyone should be aware of how important being a safe driver really is.

The easiest step to becoming more aware about safe driving habits is to ask questions. Even if you don't get your answer right away, you can always look into drivers ed. Drivers ed can better inform anyone about driving, showing real world examples of hazards and risks and how to prevent them. According to the American Automobile Association, drivers ed reduces teen crash rates by 4.3 percent and lowers the number of traffic tickets received by nearly 40 percent. Just by taking a simple course can save you from making the wrong move on the road.

Even looking up some safety rules on the internet can benefit you as well, such as finding steps that can be taken to reduce car accidents. The main key points to reducing accidents are obeying the traffic laws, being predictable, avoiding distractions, driving well rested, and steering clear of alcohol and drugs. These steps may sound like common sense, but some drivers are completely unaware of how serious they can be. For example, phone use while driving has lead to an average of 1.6 million car crashes per year, and out of those million, more than 3 thousand have caused death. Driving under the influence has also caused over 10 thousand deaths, according to driving drunk vs texting and driving statistics.

Some may think that these incidents may never happen to them, but that is where they are very wrong. When I was 13 years old, I'll never forget the time when I got a call from my mother saying my aunt got in a serious car accident. She was driving under the influence without wearing a seatbelt, and drove off the road into a ditch, flipping her truck into water. If it wasn't for someone else coming down that deserted road, she would not be here today. That phone call has always reminded me of why it's so important to be safe while driving, and to equally be aware of drivers under the influence on the road.

Practicing safe driving skills that may seem just like common sense can always be prevalent for determining how you get from point A to point B. The resources to gain more knowledge on such skills can be obtained as easy as looking it up on the internet, or taking it a step further and taking a drivers ed course. Remember, always obey traffic rules, never drive under the influence, and constantly be aware of your surroundings. Before you know it, you can turn driving safe into a habit every time you get in your vehicle.