Life is a Highway

Life
is a Highway

I
believe we can all agree when I say education is very important in
our time, and drivers ed is no exception. Transportation
has always been such an essential part of people’s lives, there are
busses, automobiles, trains, airplanes, etc. Although these forms of
transportation are highly used the one that will be focused on is
automotive transportation. With an increase in population there is
also an increase in automotive drivers and thus the highways are
filling up a lot more. People are having less and less patience, and
the rules of the streets are being overlooked by many. Drivers
education is meant to help inform people of the rules of driving, who
has the right of way, the proper speeds during different weather
conditions, and more. However, driving although essential has proven
to be very dangerous and many times deadly.

Drivers
education is one of the most important ways a person can learn to
stay safe out on the road so that, although not guaranteed, they can
make it to their desired destination safely. It is a way for people
to develop the skills to properly handle the vehicle and know how to
maneuver through various road situations and hazards. It teaches the
importance of seatbelt use before beginning to operate the vehicle,
the basics of changing lanes, properly merging on or off traffic,
using your signal or caution lights, and more. Now, to many this
information may not seem as though it can save a person’s life and
yet it can. Understanding how a vehicle works and how to use it can
be the difference of causing or avoiding an accident that may cost
you your life. The sad truth of the matter is that even when a person
is practicing safe driving there are those who disregard it and so it
is important to learn how to spot potential dangers from other
drivers as well.

In
order to reduce the amount of deaths due to driving a person should
of course begin with a drivers ed course. Once this course
is completed, it is important to get to know a person’s vehicle,
silly as it may sound, different vehicles have different braking
points, different acceleration speeds, and different technology. A
person should not be wondering where the AC button or the hazards
button is in the middle of driving it can cause a very big
distraction. Once in the vehicle they should not forget to put on a
seatbelt, that alone will be the difference of life or death
situation if a collision may occur. Cell phones today are a huge
safety hazard in a vehicle being that people are so prone to answer
or read and even reply to text messages. If in a simple glance at a
phone, the vehicle is still in motion it can travel the equivalent
distance of a football field, now imagine how many football fields it
would be if someone would be trying to complete a simple “on my
way” text. There are so many negative outcomes that can occur from
a message that could have been disregarded, one of them includes
losing a life.

Maintaining
your speed at or under the speed limit is a great help in reducing
deaths because it also reduces accidents. Using the proper
communication tools on the road such as blinkers or even hand signals
when turning or coming to a stop is another way to stay safe.
Patience is key not only to a healthy life but also to safe driving.
Road rage has sadly become a great cause of accidents due to
impatience, ignorance, and the urge to take inadequate action. It is
always good to take a breath and remain calm when another person is
driving irresponsibly or if there is traffic. A person should always
keep in mind that there may be lives on the line if a wrong action is
made. Music also plays a role in driver safety. Now for some it may
be calming at low volume levels but that is not always the case and
so this too has been a cause of accidents leading to deaths. People
like to drive with very loud music and sing along once in a while,
yet they tend to get lost in the songs a bit more than they should
and seem to focus more on that rather than driving. This in turn
causes a distraction and may lead to a disregard of a red light,
pedestrians walking, or even a sudden stop on the freeway.

“Five
seconds, that’s all it takes to be safe, five seconds.” Words I
have reminded my mother of for a very long time now. Why? Well to
avoid an accident of course. You see when I was an adolescent my
mother decided to leave to her sister’s house during the night, she
took my brother and I with her. My mother seemed a bit odd to me that
night and something didn’t feel right but well I had no say in the
matter at the time. I was laying down in the back seat and as we
approached an intersection, I felt the car going at an accelerated
rate and it gave me quite a pain in my stomach. Before I knew it, the
passenger side doors were smashed inward, and there was so much glass
all over me. My mother had made a left turn thinking she can make it
in time and as a result we were hit on the side by an SUV. I sprained
my ankle and could not walk properly, my brother had many small cuts
on his head and neck and my mother seemed to be hurting from her
neck, right wrist, and back. That situation could have been avoided
with the simple act of waiting five more seconds for that SUV to pass
in order to turn safely. That was not the case but luckily a life was
not lost that day.

Throughout
my time driving I have learned to be a very cautious driver. I adjust
my mirrors and my seat anytime I get into the driver seat if needed
before I begin to drive. My cell phone will automatically be placed
on “Do Not Disturb” mode once I start driving to ensure my
attention is fully on the road ahead. I always check that my tires
have air, once in a while I check that my car’s oil levels are
good, and make sure my turn signals work. There is no sense in
driving a car that may be a potential hazard while in motion. I try
to keep a well-paced speed when merging onto the freeway along with
the proper turn signal to inform others that I will be merging. I
have also tried to follow my brother’s words, “if you are running
late don’t speed, you get there when you get there, it’s not
worth your life.” Words I know quite a lot of people would benefit
from being that the majority of people driving fast are those that
are running late to be somewhere. These are some of the things I do
to ensure safe driving on my end as well as road safety for those
around me.

Driving
is essential for people to either get to work, school, medical
appointments, etc. However, it is still dangerous and as much as a
person can try to be a safe driver there is also those around them
that love to drive “on the wild side.” Drivers ed is
definitely a great asset for all who are starting to drive in order
to learn the rules and hazards of the road. There are many steps that
a person can take in order to reduce the number of deaths from
vehicle collisions and if they people were better informed of them
then they may be more willing to take part in them. The next time you
get in your vehicle think about what you are doing to prevent a death
from occurring and remember all it takes is five seconds to stay
safe.