I visited Copenhagen, Denmark once. Early in the morning, in the middle of town, I noticed that there were no cars. The population was all riding bicycles. If we all had to ride bicycles the world would be a much safer place. In Texas, the driving age went from 16 to 18 to decrease the number of motor vehicle deaths. If you don’t want to drive you could take a bus, walk, bicycle, take a scooter, or a train. New forms of transportation are being invented all the time. Just a few months ago I saw an electric skateboard on the road. The majority of America is behind the wheels making driving decisions every day. A poor driving decision could be more than just detrimental to you and your family. A serious accident could affect the entire community. Safe driving standards are not just important for you and me but are important for everyone anywhere your travels may lead.
As a driver on the road, I see unsafe driving standards continually. Sometimes students are speeding and not paying attention to the other cars on the road. A person may pull out in front of another vehicle. A car without adequate brakes that doesn’t have the ability to stop in time are all contributing factors to unsafe driving in the area I live in. I guess a person’s social life is more important than paying attention to other vehicles and regular upkeep of the vehicle you drive. If I could choose one contributing factor to solve to make driving safer for everyone it would be regular upkeep of your vehicle. Cars are very complex vehicles, and they have become so common it could be easily to get into the habit of driving unsafely.
When you think of death due to a car accident the most common thought is that the accident happened on the highway with a multiple vehicle pileup, but have you ever thought it was due to faulty brakes, the transmission going out, or a blinker that didn’t work? The upkeep and maintenance of a vehicle can be very costly and easy to ignore. New tires can cost over$2,000 and brakes are not inexpensive. The importance of vehicle upkeep could save a life. Imagine a rain night, driving with fog headlights on and a buck jumps into the road, right in front of your vehicle, you press the brakes but that isn’t working so you swerve, hit the tail end of the deer, and then flip over a nearby log. If you live to tell the story of why you totaled your parent’s vehicle, you will realize if the brakes had been up to legal requirements the car would have stopped in time, and you could have prevented the entire situation. Using your blinker is communicating with other cars on the road what they can expect your vehicle is about to do. We have an intersection, and I can’t tell you how many driver’s do not know what to do at the stop light. You have the option to turn or go straight. If you go straight, you have the right if way. If you are turning you have to wait for the other cars to turn and then, when the road is clear it is your turn to go. If the other driver does not use their blinker, you wouldn’t know who has the right way and the two cars could easily collide. Checking your lights is also very important to keep visibility clear. As unimportant as upkeep and maintenance may seem, a properly maintained vehicle could save your life.
The number of deaths on the roads makes safe driving an important subject to discuss with new and seasoned drivers. If you have no experience on the road situations you may not expect may happen. If you have been driving for the past 60 years you may need to become familiar with new driving laws and changing technology. There was a time when televisions were not available in cars or hands-free driving. Driving safely is everyone’ responsibility. Driver’s ed may not be specific enough to individual needs to cover all of the necessary material for completely safe driving. They cover the bulk of the necessary information but small issues like braking on wet roads could be overlooked due to the bulk of new material being processed.
We have lost too many lives in this country due to car accidents. If we focus on safe driving standards, we can reduce the number of deaths and encourage growth in our communities. I went to Switzerland once hired two taxis. The first taxi spoke very little English but was able to communicate his distaste for being cut off by other drivers and the second did not like cars not “letting them in”. If you think Americans are bad you should try driving in Switzerland. My point is, no matter where you, knowing how to drive safely and encouraging driving safely will be a necessary skill in life.