IN The Driver’s Seat

“Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel.” This is probably the best advice from singer Jim Morrison that we need to remember to help reduce the number of deaths related to driving. What if you could help reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving? You can! Just by participating in driver education can help reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving. There are also many other steps to take to lower the number of deaths from driving. Advising others how to be safe while driving is also important to make the roadway a safer place.

First, those participating in driver education can help make the road a safer place when driving. Participants in this program will learn skills to improve their driving styles. The drivers will have an instructor observing their driving in real-time and the instructor correcting any behaviors that need to be improved. This helps drivers to learn from real-world conditions and how to react to different situations in real time with the instructor. Driver education helps young adults to practice the correct driving habits before they take these skills on the road by themselves. A first-time driver getting behind the wheel of a vehicle for the first time can be a scary experience for them and their parents. Driver education can help relieve some of these feelings by providing drivers with confidence by practicing driving techniques with their instructors.

Along with participating in a driver education program, there are other steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths while driving. I can obey the speed limit by staying at or below the required speed limit in that area. I must remember not to multitask when driving. If I think a text message or phone call is too important to wait, I can get off the road and stop safely to read the text or answer the call. I can use turn signals to alert other drivers of where I am going. Another step I can take to make the road a safer place is to not follow closely with another vehicle. I need to remember to keep my distance. I also need to stay focused. If feeling tired I can get someone else to drive if there is another person available or pull off to the side of the road and rest.

This brings me to my next point. I have seen some of my family members driving irresponsibly by not pulling off the road and resting or having someone else drive when feeling tired. My grandfather ended up falling asleep while driving from not getting enough rest the night before. He also did not have a seatbelt when veering off the road and hitting a tree. He was very lucky to have survived the crash but did suffer major injuries due to continued driving when feeling tired and not wearing a seatbelt. I feel two lessons can be learned from this incident. One lesson is to not continue driving when feeling tired and the other lesson is to wear a seatbelt at all times when inside a vehicle. These poor driving habits did cause serious injuries and could have also been more serious leading to death.

Furthermore, there are ways I can help others stay safe on the road while becoming a better and safer driver as well. The greatest power for reducing deaths due to driving is informing others and changing their attitudes toward driving safety. I can insist that all passengers wear a seatbelt at all times. I can remind others to never drive a vehicle if they are affected by either alcohol or other drugs. I can offer to take turns driving if we are driving long distances for long times. I can also inform others about participating in driver education programs is better than just studying for a written test for reducing the number of deaths by driving.

In conclusion, there are many steps I can take to reduce the number of deaths by driving. Decreasing the number of driving distractions can help make the road a safer place. Participating in driver education programs is one way to help build confidence and knowledge of driving. Informing others of safe driving habits can also help to lower the number of deaths when getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. I need to remember that I can make a difference in helping to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving.