Confidence, Caution, and Control

The importance of driver education in reducing the number of driver and passenger deaths cannot be overstated enough. Most of the time, an individual will get their license at 16, or when they are in the middle of high school. As it is well known, young teenagers of this age can often act recklessly or unthoughtful regarding many actions that they do. This also applies to driving, and it must be made incredibly well known how dangerous reckless driving can be. If more individuals are aware of the dangers of driving and truly understand the rules of the road, people can generally be assumed to take more caution on the road. If an individual does not know how to do even a small task such as signaling when changing lanes on the highway, this small choice could lead to devastating outcomes, so education around proper driving is vital to prevent loss of individuals. Driver education provides many valuable skills, including but not limited to: understanding the importance of seatbelts, learning how to course correct, keeping a watchful eye on the road and the speed limit, and road signs that may indicate different important aspects of driving, such as warnings, road signs, and pedestrian signs.

In order to reduce the number of deaths while driving, a few important steps can be taken. The most important step that should be taken by everyone is ensuring that they are not endangering themselves or others when on the road. Those who may only be able to drive well in specific conditions and struggle with either driving at night or when the road is somewhat foggy or rainy should reconsider their choice to drive, potentially entrusting someone else who may be able to navigate safely. Additionally, all drivers should be aware of the conditions of the road and the environment around them by constantly analyzing the scene that they are in and being aware of where other drivers are on the road. Any education from a driver’s education course should be regularly applied to driving on any road no matter what the conditions may be. By finding a method to ensure that all individuals are following guidelines consistently, proper safety can be better established on the roads. Also, vehicles should regularly be checked by those driving in order to fix any potential problems such as low tire pressure, a brake light that is out, or a dangling piece of metal from the car. One should always consider how their actions may impact others on the road before leaving and address the problem as soon as possible in order to avoid any wrecks or other incidents.

My experience with car accidents is minimal, thankfully, but my largest accident that I was in was when I was driving away from my school during an incredibly busy time with a large amount of traffic. I did not notice that someone had put their blinker on and had stopped to turn into a diverging road, and bumped into the back of another car. I immediately pulled over along with the other person involved and we inspected both of our cars, determining that there was no damage done to either and we would each update each other on if any problems occurred with either car. Aside from my own experience, one of the most terrifying accounts I have witnessed of a family member driving recklessly was when a family member was driving with me up to Suches, Georgia, and he continually drove in the middle of the road and came incredibly close to swerving in the other lane entirely. I continually feared that he would encounter an incoming car especially because of the large and tight curves that the mountains have. If he would have been focusing on the road and keeping a tight grip on the wheel, he would not have endangered himself or others.

The biggest step that I can take to become a better driver is to place all my focus on the road and treat each trip incredibly seriously. No matter where my destination is, I will always employ all of my focus on the road without being overly stressed or overly relaxed. Each time I drive, I can take a deep breath before putting the car into drive and consciously cycle through the rules of the road as I drive. An accident can happen any time, and an increased awareness of this can save both myself and others on the road. By always using my signal, others on the road will have an increased awareness and could be inspired to do the same. If I keep practicing continual responsible driving, I can influence others to increase their awareness as well.