Safety First!!

Driving a car is one of the greatest feelings a person can have. It gives you freedom. It can also be one of the most dangerous things that we do on a daily basis. Each time a person gets behind the wheel of a car they are making many split second decisions. It is important to constantly watch the driver in front of you for sudden stops. Drivers need to also be aware of what the person in the next lane is doing. It is equally important to be aware of any pedestrians that may suddenly stroll into oncoming traffic or a small child running after a ball. Drivers need to also navigate difficult road conditions. Living in Staten Island, New York we are constantly on the lookout for huge potholes or road debris that has fallen off of a truck. People tend to be very impatient drivers here. If you are waiting to make a legal left turn in oncoming traffic the drivers behind you tend to loudly beep at you even if it is not safe to make the turn. So, a driver needs to not get anxious and nervous and make a poor decision when turning based on the drivers behind him. In New York City, this is definitely something that should be emphasized in driver safety courses.

As someone who has just passed their road test, I feel it is very important to be educated about reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving. Now that I am a new driver, I am much more aware of how powerful a motor vehicle can be. According to the World Health Organization, drivers who had taken a driver’s education course were involved in less fatal car crashes. It is my opinion that every driver inexperienced, as well as experienced should be required to take a safe driving course each year. They should be required to see what could happen when people intentionally drive erratically or under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. I think that would help reduce the number of driving related deaths. It should be mandated that drivers have the opportunity to see the families left behind due to unsafe driving accidents. People who die in driving accidents leave behind loved ones. It is important to see the effect losing a loved one has on an individual and a family. I also think that people should be required to take an actual driving test whenever they need to renew their driver’s license, not just pay a fee and take an eye test. I am well aware that it could be an inconvenience for some, but isn’t preventing a death worth it?

Recently, I was a passenger in a car with a good friend. He had just broken up with his girlfriend. As he was talking about the situation, he was becoming more and more agitated. He began to increase his speed well beyond the speed limit and was making unsafe lane changes. I knew I had to do something. I eventually got him to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and calm down. He was very upset. I realized it is not safe to drive when you are upset. I told him I was going to take over and drive the rest of the way. Later that day, he thanked me and assured me that he would not drive that way again. It was a good experience for both of us. Emotions can also have a great impact on how you drive. A person should not get behind the wheel if they are too emotional. It is not a safe situation.

I can take many steps to make sure that I am a safe driver. Most importantly, I need to make sure that I am well rested when I get behind the wheel of a car. If a person is tired, they can fall asleep at the wheel or not be alert enough to drive. It is essential that I wear a seatbelt, sit comfortably, use my turn signals and mirrors, follow the traffic rules and be aware of pedestrians and other drivers. Most importantly, I cannot text while driving. Texting can take my eyes off of the road. The one second that I stop to look at or send a text could make all the difference in my safety and someone else’s life. One second with my eyes off the road to look at my phone could cause a major and fatal car accident. If I abide by these rules, hopefully other people will too we will be able to reduce the number of driving fatalities each year.