Practicing Safe Driving is a Priority.

What are the chances that something we do every day is gradually getting more unsafe the more we do it? Statistics show that being on the road is more dangerous than you would think, with over 5,000 people every day sustaining a permanent injury that they will never fully recover from due to an auto accident. The deaths from traffic accidents have risen substantially since 2007, even with amazing safety features on the newest models. Many variables go into the causes of car crashes, but any person could name a handful of causes that they do themselves. People are aware of the distractions that they create for themselves when driving but don’t recognize the danger because it’s a daily task that’s routine. The way to reduce driving-related accidents is not only by improving driver education but also practicing safe driving techniques in day-to-day life. If everyone drove the way a driving school teaches their students, the number of driving-related deaths would diminish immensely.

The amount of importance that safe driving is for each person should be the same. There are so many easy ways we can prioritize the safety of ourselves and others, including putting our phones out of reach, being respectful and responsible while on the road, and only driving if we are mentally and physically able to. We have all heard things similar to this over and over, but many people still treat safe driving as something optional. For example, one of my friends recently got into a car crash while drunk driving, and it was very scary for me to see her posts about her injuries. I’ve been in the car with her before and she has had her license for years, and it still seems so daunting that she didn’t take the safety of herself and the other people on the road into consideration. I am wishing her the best in her recovery, but it makes me scared to be driving on the road at all. I feel that if we take these three things seriously, we will have the most safety on the road than we have had in many years.

One thing we can all do is the simplest task on the list, putting your phone out of reach. It seems so self-explanatory, but you would be surprised how many of my friends have their phones in one of their hands while driving. I’ve noticed that it’s usually on the streets that they drive every day; near their house or our school, but it’s still very distracting no matter how well you know the area. I’ve mentioned this to my friends a few times and some people have stopped, but it’s +-+really something to think about when it comes to your driving. Where is your phone when your eyes are supposed to be on the road? Is it held up in a phone holder near your windshield, distracting your attention? Or on the passenger seat where you can grab it effortlessly if you hear a buzz? We don’t realize how little self-control we have when it comes to our phones. Think about how many times you pick up your phone when your mind wanders and it’s within easy reach. If everyone put their phones in a closed backpack or anywhere out of sight when driving, it would make the roads safer and keep the driver’s attention more on the safety of themselves and others.

Another way to prioritize road safety is by being respectful and responsible while on the road. Road rage is a common and dangerous activity and can lead to sometimes deadly consequences, and I have seen many close calls myself on the road where people let their temper control their driving. Unsafe driving only has negative consequences, even if someone honks at you or cuts you off. Paying attention to the way someone is driving and giving them as much space as possible is the safest way to avoid angry drivers. If you struggle with road rage yourself, adjusting your driving attitude by giving the drivers on the road the benefit of the doubt might help. If someone makes a driving mistake, try taking a step back and putting yourself in that driver’s position. If people stopped engaging in irresponsible conflicts on the road, they would make a positive impact on safer driving overall.

Driving under the influence is a big problem in our society and many people each year are affected by the bad choices they make while driving. Making sure you are mentally and physically able to drive before you are in the car is a good way to check in with yourself and keep your focus on safety. If you are overly angry, tired, or under the influence of any drugs, think twice about getting behind the wheel or ask a friend to drive instead. Most people don’t realize the huge impact that our emotions have on our reflexes and our attention span. Taking just a second to reflect on how we feel can make roads safer and can reduce traffic-related deaths immensely.

In conclusion, some steps that we can take to reduce traffic accidents include putting our phones out of reach, being respectful and responsible while on the road, and only driving if we are mentally and physically able to. Taking these small steps seriously can help people be less distracted on the road, and ultimately lead to better road safety altogether. One step I can improve on is being more alert on my routine streets. I’ve noticed that when driving to school or work, I find myself singing along to songs or thinking about my day and I could focus more on the road. I hope that if I and other drivers practice the safe driving we were taught, It will overall make driving a safer daily task and fewer lives will be lost in car accidents across the globe.