The importance of Safe Driving

Each year, many people are affected by traffic accidents. Driver Education courses over the years have become shorter in duration, and typically cover material very quickly to cover all topics required. By decreasing the length of these courses, we have done a disservice to our society. Educating individuals about driving and driver’s safety is extremely important because many individuals driving unsafely forget that they are in control of a large chunk of metal being put into motion, and it can do a lot of damage when not handled properly. While a lot of safety measures are being added to new cars being released each year, I feel that increasing the length of driving courses is more important. The course I personally took was very short, however, they gave us a lot of different practice opportunities that helped to ensure proper handling skills, and awareness of rules and practices on the road. For example, they provided a practice course that worked on different parking maneuvers, signs, and more. We completed this course multiple times throughout the class, and I found that to be very helpful. This made me aware of the rules of the road and made sure that I was following them safely.

I also believe that we should take a refresher course and exam every few years. I think that we can all admit to making mistakes while driving, and that is okay, but we need to also be committed to improving and maintaining these safety skills. I also think proper enforcement of laws, especially those regarding distracted driving is necessary. We live in a society where technology is at our fingertips. Having this access is great, however, too many people are taking their eyes off the road, leading to accidents or even death. I personally have been in a couple of accidents where this was the cause. I was rear-ended by someone around the same age as myself. I was at a stop sign right on the service drive of an expressway near home during rush hour. I could see the individual behind me approaching at a fast speed and he did not appear to be stopping. I always make sure to leave space between myself and the car in front of me, so that I either can move out of the way if I am able to, or so that I do not involve another individual in an accident that they could avoid. Thankfully, the speed limit in the area was only 25mph, so when I was hit, it wasn’t enough to cause severe damage to myself or my vehicle, or the driver in front of me. I am grateful that no one was seriously hurt, but at the same time, I was also frustrated that the other driver was being irresponsible. He had admitted to being on his cell phone and did not see me in front of him.

I do have family members who were not as lucky as I was. My father’s cousin and his wife were coming home from work on New Year’s Eve a couple of years ago and were hit head on by a driver who most likely was impaired or distracted and had also stolen the vehicle he hit them with. If people were following the laws and rules of the road, this would not have happened, and they would still be here today. I try to be a good and safe driver every day. I make sure that my phone is never within reach while I am driving. I make sure that I am always aware of my surroundings, and try to follow the laws of the road, even if others around me are not. I can admit that I do speed from time to time, and I am trying to be more aware of that, and work on maintaining the speed limit. While I was in high school, there was an incident involving four students from a neighboring high school. They had been out on a weeknight to go get pizza for dinner. They were sitting at a light and were hit by a driver who had been drinking. All four students passed away, and the driver walked away unharmed. Their car was put on the high school’s campus to be a reminder to all students about the importance of being a safe driver. It is better to reach your destination safely than not at all, and we all owe that to not only ourselves, but to other drivers on the road too. Human life is so precious, and we are not replaceable. It’s important to make sure we drive safely and responsibly to ensure that we all make it home safely each day.