Going to Driver’s Education, acquiring a Driver’s Permit, and finally, getting ahold of an official Driver’s License is one of the greatest feelings that teenagers can have. It proves to them and others that they are worthy of the power that is operating a motor vehicle on the road. As many of us have heard in movies, the quote “With great power comes great responsibility” absolutely applies to whoever is driving on the road at all times. That is why one of the best things you can do to ensure you aren’t involved in a car accident is to be firm in your knowledge of Driver’s Education, and the mandated state laws to follow.
Driver’s Education is the foundation from which upon you can build yourself and possibly others into the safest driver you can be, learning closely about speed limits, right-a-way rules, U-Turns, following distances, and much more. This also includes learning about the interior of your motor vehicle, including turn signals and when to use them, caution lights, checking your mirrors in any attempt to change lanes, speed control, reversing and how to maximize your vision looking at the back glass, and much more. Having extensive knowledge of these rules can help decrease the chances of you being involved in an accident.
Along with the knowledge mentioned previously, there are also steps that one can follow to further enforce themselves as a positive driver on the road, and to hopefully save some lives. These are: 1. Do a visual inspection of your vehicle before you take it on the road, just so that you can make sure there are no critical problems with your car that could later harm you or other people on the road. 2. When you enter your vehicle, make sure all of your lights are working properly, the most critical being your turn signal indicators and your brake lights. People who fail to maintain an adequate following distance often rely heavily on your vehicle’s brake lights, and you could be liable if an accident were to happen with faulty rear lights. 3. After that, adjust your seat and mirrors to a comfortable angle so that you have the best view possible to see vehicles close to you. 4. Make sure to always buckle up your seat belt after these steps are complete. 5. While on the road, make sure to view your mirrors every ten seconds to ensure a vehicle hasn’t snuck up on you that you are unaware of, and, when changing lanes, remember to use your turn indicator, and to check the corresponding mirror and blind spot. 6. As always, obey the road signs to the best of your ability, and have patience when in traffic. These are six steps that I believe can make a difference and possibly save lives.
Fortunately, I have never been in a car accident, and I hope I can continue the streak; however, I have from time to time seen some of my friends and family drive irresponsibly on the road. The main issue I have seen myself is one of the most common amongst drivers on the road: phone usage. It is very easy to get distracted on long (and even short) drives, so a lot of people have been using their phones to help with that. The fact of the matter is phones are a mainstay in our society and unfortunately there will always be accidents caused by them. We should be putting in a better effort to focus our sole attention only on the road, if not only for the sake of other people, but ourselves as well. Another issue, albeit not as problematic as phones, is distractions from the passengers in the vehicle. The driver is responsible for those in the car with them and should be laser focused to ensure their safety.
Personally, I think there are some things I can do to improve as a driver as well. Sometimes, when I get stuck in traffic, I often zone out or stop paying attention. Every time I am behind the wheel I look to remain focused on the road in front of me and try not to let it happen. Another thing I can work on is phone usage. I use it to turn on music in the Bluetooth slot of my dashboard, but sometimes I attempt to multitask it while I drive. Now, I look to do it before I am on the road. The last thing I can work on is my knowledge of the road rules. This includes Right a Way’s, U-Turn's, Yellow/Green arrows, and more. Although I already know most of these by heart, I hope to be more convicted when I encounter these situations on the road. In turn, I hope these improvements in my driving skills can help others with theirs.