Saving Lives One Drive at a Time

Drivers Education was so important for me and is still important for all drivers today. Drivers education teaches about road safety, safe driving, and how to properly drive a car. This can greatly affect the number of deaths that can be caused by a car accident. When I went through drivers ed, I learned so much about being safe on the road and the importance of safe driving techniques. The things I have learned in drivers ed have saved me from getting into wrecks and other dangerous situations.

There are multiple steps that could be taken to reduce the number of deaths caused by vehicles. The first one is implementing a “hands-free” law in every state. In Georgia, this law has reduced the number of accidents and has helped further protect the drivers on the road. Another step of preventing accidents is having more policemen monitoring the roads. Many accidents come from distracted driving, speeding, improper procedures, or plain carelessness. Ensuring that our law enforcement can monitor as many roads as they are equipped for will help reduce these accidents. Not every way to prevent accidents is done by laws. It can be started by checking on your family and friends and making sure they are not intoxicated, under the influence, well rested, and not using their phone while driving and taking proper safety precautions. It also takes personal accountability to ensure safe driving. Making sure you are driving safely and not causing any higher risk factors for the road. It is important to think about the risk that driving can have when unessasrsy high risk actions are being taken place. When I began to drive I made sure my phone was put away, music turned down, and all distractions were limited. Making sure passengers in the car are being respectful to the driver is also another great way to ensure safe driving . There are no ways to make 100% of drivers safe but these are some of the precautions to take to make the roads as safe as possible. Driving can be a very dangerous act and should be taken seriously as well with being responsible to take actions to ensure low risk driving.

While I have never been in an accident, I have seen them happen as well as family members and friends driving irresponsibly. My father is a fireman and EMT and has told me about accidents that have happened. Lots of the accidents are results of phones or unsafe driving. These wrecks have taken people’s lives or harmed others. In my community we have lost 4 high school students in just the last few recent years. These students’ lives were taken in 3 separate wrecks and I see even more students get into wrecks that should have taken their lives but didn’t. When talking to these students about their wrecks, some were on their phone, some were driving too fast, and some were at no fault of their own. All of these incidents impacted families, students, and members of the community. It is important to speak up when you or someone else sees unsafe driving to prevent a wreck that can cause injury, or death.

Taking steps to prevent unsafe driving on my part as well as others can be started by taking extra measures to limit distractions. Putting your phone out of sight and making sure music is turned to a lower volume can be two big steps in preventing an accident. Restraining yourself from driving after being under the influence no matter how little it may be. Not driving or having someone with me when I drive on late nights, early mornings, or times where I am very low on sleep helps ensure that I am able to stay awake and focus on the road. Making sure the driver is focused is one of the easiest ways to prevent accidents. This is immensely important when I haul my horse trailer. When hauling I normally have myself, another person, 1-2 horses, and my dog with me. If I were to get into an accident, all these lives would be at risk. Redirecting people when you see bad driving is another way to prevent unsafe driving. In the end, you would rather redirect than have to deal with their loss of life or someone else’s. Being a safe driver does not have to be difficult. Limiting distractions, redirecting unsafe drivers, taking a drivers education course, and holding yourself accountable for safe driving can limit the number of accidents while driving that ultimately take lives.