The Importance of Driver Safety

WTV-4925, That’s one of the only things I can remember from October 18th, 2021. That was the license plate number of the red Nissan Ultimate coming down Highway 17 at 7:20 a.m. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. As I awaited the shifting of the light from crimson to the perfect shade of emerald we all anticipate, I began to have an eerie feeling I couldn’t shake. Putting my thoughts aside once I saw the color change to that familiar green, I quickly looked in either direction before accelerating. From the corner of my left eye I saw a streak of scarlet paint fly across my peripheral vision. In that moment my reaction was purely based on instinct and remembering my teachings not long before. In a split section reaction I turned my wheel all the way to the right in order to avoid a driver’s side T-bone which could have ended in serious injury or even death. Because of that choice, I was able to walk away with minor injuries and not even a scratch on my driver’s door, but the same couldn’t be said about my front tire and the car I had waited so long for. While the accident was not my fault since the other driver was the one who ran the red light, it felt as though I was punished since he had a new car in a week while I had to wait six long months for mine to be repaired. Those six months with minimal driving made me terrified to get back on the road again because of the what if’s, but with a lot of support from my friends and family I have been back on the road again for over a year now since my accident. Even though I came out fine, I will always remember that day whenever I get into a vehicle but it is always soon followed with a reassurance that as long as I remember my training I can keep going.

My Driver’s Education Course was the last group that was able to meet in person prior to the pandemic and I believe that it is extremely important to get that hands-on experience with an experienced teacher. One topic in particular that always stuck with me was the concept of defensive driving. I have always considered myself to be a defensive driver even if that resulted in some groans and scolds from my passengers for not taking a riskier path just to arrive somewhere quicker. One of the most important qualities of a good driver I believe is patience. I can recall a discussion we had within my driver’s ed class about how we calm ourselves down and manage our anger and learn how we can alleviate that frustration. Learning how to keep a level head while on the road has been one of the key aspects that aided me in being a defensive driver, after all, being a defensive driver saved my life.

1. It is always frightening getting into an accident, especially when you are sixteen since many will presume that it is a lack of experience that caused the incident and assume you are at fault followed by “I bet they were texting”. However I believe that is not always the case and the freshness of road laws and training can aid a driver which is why I believe that we should often strengthen our road safety and knowledge of traffic laws by having yearly course refreshers. Our world is always evolving from new technological advances in self-driving vehicles to new operational developments. We need to always be aware of our surroundings. Just like how in life we are always absorbing new things. Even if we are out of school, we need to put forth a greater effort in adapting when it comes to driver safety for all on the road and reducing the number of vehicle related deaths.

There are many other ways to avoid accidents on the road and measures that can be taken by everyone. One thing that everyone, including myself, can do is by making sure the vehicle itself is safe. Whether that is by staying up to date with your car’s services or by making sure the car itself is chosen based on the safety features it offers. Based on data driving a midsize car is the safest option in many aspects. One feature that I searched for when car shopping is safety features such as blind spot reminders, lane control, and backup cameras with motion sensors. Even if we are the drivers or just passengers we need to always look for ways we can improve our time on the road. Whether we are on a busy interstate or open county roads, no matter the circumstance we should always do our best to be the safest drivers possible. Driving is a privilege not an entitlement and it allows us to experience a freedom like no other and everyone should have a chance to take part safely.