The Importance of Safe Driving

When I was younger, I dreamt of driving. The freedom behind the wheel and the constant feeling of smooth driving. When I turned 16, I was put into a driver’s ed course at my high school that was a few months long. One day, the instructor sat on the edge of his desk and told us he was going to tell us a story. We all sat on the edge of our seats while he folded his glasses in his hand. He began to proceed with a story about this boy who was driving in his truck on a spring morning, and there was dust covering his windshield. The boy thought it was clear enough to drive, so he started his car and drove along his dirt road. When he turned the corner, the sun’s rays illuminated his windshield, and he was instantly blind to the road. He tried everything he could, but he ran off the road and was immediately killed. The teacher sat there for a second and then concluded the story with, “and that was my son driving.” The room was soundless. No one breathed or moved. It took some time to compose ourselves, but we were instantly stuck with grief over this gentle old man in front of us. His face fell and he stared at the floor for a long period of time. This story has continued to stick with me and remind me how important it is to take driver education seriously and to also pay attention to others and be cautious on the road. 

In my personal life, I have been told countless times by my parents to be safe from bad drivers on the road, even though I always am. A piece of advice my father still gives me to this day is, “Be careful of people on the street. Pretend that all of them are drunk so you stay aware of everyone.” That piece of information has saved me numerous times from dangerous drivers or deadly situations. Even though some people do not have a father who is filled to the brim with advice, it is important for others on the road to think about themselves and others. They can take care of others on the road by not having their phone in reach, whether it be on the passenger seat or in the middle console, so it is harder to grab while driving. Typically, people subconsciously grab their phones when they can see it in their peripheral vision or when they know its a simple reach into their cupholder. If one were to put their phone in a place that is more intricate to grab, it will allow them to focus more on driving than trying to grab their phone. Ways they can look out for themselves is by telling themselves to be a defensive driver rather than being aggressive or “attacking.” When drivers think that everyone is breaking the laws of driving, they will begin to follow the laws to prevent finding themselves in a deadly situation. If a driver does a full stop at a stop sign instead of rolling through when they don’t see anyone, they can prevent a crash if another driver were to not see the stop sign and run through it. This can also go for traffic lights or yield signs, if someone were to speed through the intersection.

Due to my parents being safe and cautious drivers, I have not been in a crash nor had a close family member been in a serious one. I have had some friends drive irresponsibly, especially in the school parking lot. During freshman year, I was friends with a girl who had the mindset of, “You only live once.” I did not realize her motto until I was in her passenger seat while she was driving. When I met her in the morning before school, I hopped into her car, and we chatted about anything we could talk about. She asked if I wanted to drive around the school parking lot with her, and I agreed since I had nothing better to do. Once she entered the main parking lot, she hit the gas and was hitting 50 mph in the school parking lot. I was shocked and terrified instantly at how dangerous she was being to herself, me and others who could have been walking past her. I got scared and told her to slow down before she hit a kid. She only shrugged her shoulders and hit the brakes once we got to a speed bump. My heart was racing, and I instantly wanted out, but I had to go back to my car to grab my things. I asked her to drop me back off at my car since I had a “makeup” to do, even though I just wanted out. She called me lame but eventually took me back to my car. I was terrified when I saw her plow through the lot at outrageous speeds. Many times, I brought up how dangerous she was being and again, she shrugged her shoulders. This put into a new perspective how others see dangerous drivers and how important it is to follow the rules.

Being a better driver on the road, it is important to follow the traffic laws. I can make myself a better driver by continuing to educate myself on the laws. If there is a situation that happens while driving, it is helpful and responsible to look up what the law is for that situation and find a solution to stop that from happening again. It is also crucial to keep all distractions away from my eyesight and to focus on the road signs and other drivers. Also, during the winter season, it is key to make sure all the snow and ice is off your car, especially the top of the car, to prevent it from clouding your vision and flinging onto the drivers behind you. Driving is a privilege to you and to others. To keep others safe, everyone must follow the rules to keep everyone safe and allow us to go home to loved ones.