It is crucial for those behind the seat to be educated in order to reduce the number of deaths behind the wheel. My friend and I sometimes joke that the general public shouldn’t be driving at all because many don’t practice safe driving. When driving, it is not only you who can get injured but everyone else driving on the road with you. Even something as simple as not using a turn signal can lead to a fatal collision.
I live by the border, so many drivers in my town come from Mexico. In Mexico the rules of the road are less followed, resulting in chaos. A lot of people tend to drive like that when they cross over to my town, so I have to be cautious when driving. There are many cases where cars are in a hurry to get somewhere, and they weave down the road.
My friend and I were driving one time around town, and she stopped at a red light. She had asked me if she could turn right on red, and I nodded my head. She looked both ways and as she turned right, the cars in the other lane were coming down the road and almost collided with us. It was a simple error of judgment, but it was one that could have ended up with us and the other car in serious condition. The family had to turn into the other lane to avoid hitting us, and they made sure to remind us how bad our decision was with some well-deserved scowls. Never again did my friend make that mistake, and we always are extra vigilant when driving.
In larger cities, there are plenty of unsafe drivers. When in California visiting my siblings, I like to pay attention to the cars when my parents drive around the area. The freeways are much different from what I’m used to, and it’s much more crowded. Sometimes we get cut off by other drivers or get holed up in a largely trafficked area. Everyone needs to get to work, go to the store, and be able to take themselves places. There are cases where people who should not be behind the wheel are doing so because they need to. In cases like this, public transportation can be an alternative.
There are many ways that drivers can become distracted while driving, and texting is a big one. I believe that it is very important to keep all your attention on the road and your surroundings when driving. The best preventative measure would be to have your phone silenced. If the phone doesn’t beep, then people would be less likely to look down at it. A measure that I take that I feel like everyone should implement would be to keep their phone far away from them. This would decrease the chances of them picking it up because it would be out of reach.
Another way people get distracted is by their surroundings. For example, my mother loves to look around at the scenery when driving; this means her eyes are often not on the road. I usually make sure to keep an eye out just in case, but we usually have my father driving instead to be extra safe. Not looking at the road could lead to running stop lights, hitting the car in front of you, or accidentally driving off the road.
The best way for me to spread these ideas is by being a good example and by providing resources. Leading by example is a good way to send a message. Whenever I drive my younger sister around, I make sure to set a good example and tell her how important it is to be focused when driving. My older sister did the same for me when she would drive me around, and that ended up sticking with me.
How can someone be expected to drive safely if they don’t know the rules? They may drive above the speed limit, make sudden turns without informing the drivers around them, not be aware when driving, and do so many other things that can increase the risk of a crash.
Because driving is such a commodity these days, people tend not to see it as a big deal, often cramming for their license and then never going back to keep learning. They may forget the laws and rules of the road or just drive to get places. It’s become too easy for people to get distracted, or even not care about the rules simply because driving itself has become so normalized. It’s important for drivers to keep up to date with their driving laws and adhere to them for their own safety and that of those around them. This could include taking online practice driver’s tests so that they can refresh their knowledge. Resources provide much-needed information. When people are informed, they can make much more rounded, educated decisions.