Behind The Wheel – Coming Back Home to Our Families

Driving is fundamental in an everyday person’s life. Regardless of if they are going to work, school, or even to hang out with friends, driving is what gets up to where we need to be. But there is also excessively significant risk when it comes to driving. There will be people who are distracted, intoxicated, or even just looking at their phone for a quick second, but all it takes is a quick second to change the fate of one or many people. Therefore, it is important for us to know the rules of the road and the dangers of it as well. Driver education is important when it comes to young drivers. It helps us understand the road, learn all the signs and what they mean on the road, and the different road changes and scenarios during construction zones. It also gives young drivers notice of what could happen if they are to be distracted for even a second. This helps warn them that giving their full attention to the road is necessary not only to keep themselves safe, but also to help keep others safe. If we can continue to show inexperienced drivers the rules of the road and the dangers, it helps reduce the number of deaths that could come from driving.

Some steps we could take to help reduce the number of deaths that come from driving are showing examples to drivers of what could happen if they or any other driver is not fully focused on the road. I drive an hour every day from my home to my college, Kennesaw State University, and I could not tell you how many times I have seen a crash almost happen. It could happen in a fraction of a second with just one driver who decides to look at his phone or even feels just a little sleepy. If we can show young drivers to get plenty of sleep before driving, make sure to place their phones where it will not distract them, and to situate themselves before going for a drive, I am sure it will help reduce the number of accidents that happen on the road, and even help reduce the number of senseless deaths that happen every day.

I have never been in a serious accident before, so I cannot compare myself to someone who has. Although, I have been in one where it happened because my brother simply chose not to look at his review cameras while backing up and accidentally backed up on someone’s car. This was due to his negligence to not looking before starting to drive. I tell him every time I see him drive to always make sure he is driving responsibly, but he chooses not to take notice. He has gotten into multiple accidents including one where he totaled one of his cars because he chose to speed down a narrow road when it was foggy, dark, and raining. Thankfully, there were no cars in the direction of his crash, but if there were just one car with a family, he would have to live with that. Not only him, but also my oldest brother speeds a lot and risks accidentally crashing into someone. Some of my friends also drive irresponsible by speeding and I always tell them to not speed and not because they could get a ticket, but because I want to make sure they come home back to their families and everyone else goes back home to their families to. No one wants to hear that their family or friend got in a serious accident and went to the hospital.

Lastly, some steps that I take, and I believe everyone should take before getting behind the wheel, are to make sure your phone is in a place where it will not distract you. This is especially important because there are a lot of crashes that happen because of someone “quickly” texting back their friend or family. Simply placing your phone facing down, putting it on a phone holder, or even better, turning on Do Not Disturb and turning off your ringer could prevent a lot of phone related accidents. Another precaution I take is making sure I am not bored while driving. I like to play music while I drive, have something to drink like water or an energy drink, or even connect my phone to my car so I can talk to a friend or family while I drive. Keeping yourself busy while driving can prevent yourself from being bored and prevent you dosing off or even getting distracted while driving. Finally, the last precaution I would like to make sure my car is in good condition. This is not an everyday thing for people to do, and I only do this because I know what to check on my car, but this is a good thing to do to prevent an accident happening to you on the road or someone else. No one would ever wish to break down on the side of the road, so this is a good habit to build before driving. Always make sure you and everyone stays focused and safe behind the wheel, so not only we, but everyone, can return to their families safe.