Each year there are millions of lives that are lost due to motor vehicle accidents. With the technological advancements in vehicles, it poses less risk for any accident to occur. Being educated on driving is essential when it comes to reducing traffic-related fatalities. When people, mainly focusing on young teenagers, are educated on the proper and legal driving procedures, it’s a higher possibility to practice the safe driving behaviors which can drastically reduce the number of accidents yearly. The benefit of getting drivers education is to become aware of traffic laws and the proper safety of a vehicle. Drivers can notice the dangers of impaired drivers, or any other potential risky behaviors that can lead to an accident. It’s best to avoid engaging with other reckless drivers to reduce the deaths or any form of injury out on the road. One way to make a significant impact is to make drivers' education programs cover all the elements of the consequences anyone can face due to safety malpractices. It can encourage young drivers to be responsible. In the state of California, at the age of 15 ½, anyone is eligible to obtain a permit. After doing drivers education, 6 months of driving school and behind-the-wheel testing, a physical licensed can be obtained. Young drivers brains don’t fully develop until they are in their mid to late 20’s. It is highly emphasized to have the knowledge of driving to navigate the road safely and provide them with the skills when dealing in unexpected circumstances. There should be restrictions to those having vision impairments as they are a risk to causing more accidents. Adding better lighting to dark areas can make drivers focus on the road instead of guessing where the lanes are at. Our technology gets advanced on a daily basis, and enhancing them such as the automatic emergency braking, lane departure, a full 360 camera to see the movement of the vehicle reduces any form of collision. It may seem that it’s easy for new drivers, but the goal is to reduce the amount of collisions there are.
I have been in one car accident and since then it changed my perspective when I began driving. I was 11 years old 10 years ago, and had spent the day with my cousin one evening at my Aunt’s house. He kept drinking but didn’t appear to be drunk. Around 8 PM, we leave my Aunt’s house and as he was driving, he had fell asleep behind the wheel not realizing we had a car in front of us at a red traffic light. As soon as I realized I told him to “Stop there’s a car and a red light!” but by then it was too late. Once the words came out of my mouth he had already made contact with the vehicle and it all happened fast. I was left speechless and I realized that anything can always happen within a blink of a eye. We end up getting out of the car and checking up on the other people leaving them with mild to moderate injuries. Unfortunately my cousin had to pay the consequences to it. Luckily we had no injuries or any sort of pain. Since that day I realized that whether you feel drunk or not, if you consume any alcohol, it’s best to avoid driving for hours or for the night. I don’t want to put others at risk and it was a lesson learned for me to make sure and never commit the same mistake as he did.
However I did have a family member, approximately a month ago that killed himself in a rollover car accident along with two other partners, one was deceased at the scene, and the other sustained injuries that were described as life-threatening. According to a witness around 5:00 PM the driver was driving on a two way deserted road speeding on the shoulder lane to cut in front of the other drivers. At one point the driver lost control, rolled over many times and had ejected two men inside that truck. One body was found beneath the truck, and my cousin was pronounced deceased at the arrival of the hospital. Impairment seemed to be possible factors in the car crash. As unfortunate as it is, additional vehicles were not involved in the car accident. After that tragedy, I had time to reflect and become aware that I can be good when driving, but someone else may not. I have become aware the way I react when driving and have taken into account that we’re all trying to reach Point A to Point B in the safest way. One less reckless driver means one less car accident. I realized that it’s vital to know that I am equipped with every safety measure. When I see a friend or family member using their phone while driving, it feels uncomfortable at times because at any given moment can be life changing with consequences.
The steps that I can take to become a better driver is by obeying every traffic law that there is and avoiding potential distractions that can wait. For example, Everytime I carry my baby nephew and niece with me, I make sure to silence my phone to not be distracted and have my eyes focused on the road at all times. As of now we have hands free opportunity given to us and it can prevent an accident. We have to set the example for others to follow and to constantly speak to our family about safety measures and to be cautious with our actions when dealing with aggressive drivers. My mom on a daily basis speaks to me, to be safe and to never make a situation worse when someone cuts in front of me. She says to let them be, you never know if either they are acting as delinquents or also in an emergency. It’s important to ask yourself the things consumed and whether they will affect your driving abilities.
In conclusion, drivers safety is the basics to being a responsible driver. With the technological advancements we have and the knowledge only puts society at less risk for everyone. Every individual putting into practice the safety measure, models society to behave the same way. From the experiences that have occurred in my family, I’ve learned to think twice before my action puts a life at risk.