Save A Stranger

Driver’s education has been required for decades for many reasons and should be taken seriously. Most Americans are fortunate enough to have access to these classes but for people that may not have the resources or money, this can be life-threatening. Driver’s education teaches people of any age crucial driving rules and lessons to remain safe. Around 34,000 people die every year in the U.S. due to traffic accidents. Whether these be freak accidents or reckless driving, the number is still too high. I strongly agree that if every single person took driver’s education, the death rate could decrease significantly. The lessons you learn from driver’s education are lifelong lessons and should be taken extremely seriously.

There are endless amounts of ways to reduce deaths due to driving. The most obvious being just to stay off the roads, this being the hard option. Whenever you do have to go places, always ensure that yourself and your passenger is buckled. This could potentially save lives. If you are speeding and suddenly must come to a halt, your seatbelt is meant to lock so you don’t fly forward and injure yourself. This leads to my next point, speeding. Speeding is a major leading factor of death by car accident. Whether it be on the highway or in neighborhoods, there is no reason to speed. Getting to your destination safely is more important than getting there as quick as possible.

Unfortunately, I have experienced a car accident. I was rear-ended back in November of 2021. Thankfully, no one was injured but it could have been prevented. The man who had rear-ended me was an older gentleman and once the cops had arrived, he had made a statement and admitted that he had just had his blood drawn and was not feeling completely there and was unable to focus. To me, that was completely shocking that he knew he was not in the right headspace but still chose to get behind the wheel. This small but selfish decision could have ended someone’s life. Any sort of distracted driving such as texting, calling, or intoxication can result in death or serious injury. Regarding texting and driving, unfortunately it is very common, and I see it every day. Even just driving to work or school, I drive past people holding their phones up and actively texting. Since Americans are so attached to their phones, it is like most people do it without even realizing it. Maybe putting your phone on “Do Not Disturb” is a good option because it silences notifications so you will be less tempted to pick it up. Also, there are new options for insurance to where it tracks how much you pick up your phone and if you don’t pick up your phone at all, your insurance rate lowers. It can genuinely be scary whenever you are driving with someone, and they go to pick up their phone and it makes you think that one second of distraction can be fatal, which is true.

As far as myself and how I drive, I believe I am usually as safe as possible. I think that I could improve on a few things such as picking up my phone less, trying to stay under the speed limit, and driving less in general. Even though I am only picking up my phone to skip a song, I most likely shouldn’t. Looking away for one second can cause an accident. Same thing with speeding, looking away for one second while speeding can certainly cause a fatal accident. I think a challenge for myself would be to always drive five miles under the speed limit. That sounds easier than it probably is. As of right now I am probably always driving five miles over the speed limit which means I will have to reduce my speed by ten miles an hour. I can also limit my driving to only when necessary. This can save money and time but most importantly can prevent accidents.

It is always a good idea to be polite on the roads. Road rage is a common occurrence and causes accidents every day. Be courteous and use skills that you’ve learned from driver’s education to secure your safety and encourage others to be safer on the roads. Maybe wave at someone when you pass in front of them to thank them, it is the small things that matter. Have you ever noticed that when you let a semi-truck in front of you, they will most of the times flash their lights at you? That is them showing that they are thankful. Kindness can prevent accidents but, driver’s education is the key to staying safe on the roads.