The Importance of Safe Driving

As a relatively new driver myself, I have always made it my first priority to drive as carefully as possible, especially when I have friends or family members in the car with. The reality of our world is that it’s incredibly fast paced, and this causes some people to drive more recklessly than they should in an attempt to get wherever they need to be on time. For many dangerous drivers, their lives change in a split second as their decisions cause them to either injure themselves or others. Drivers ed can be a key part in reducing the number of reckless drivers on the road, but unfortunately it is not very effective right now. Many young drivers simply have to take a short test based on the rules of the road to get their driver’s permit, then attend a 5 hour course and they are able to take their driver’s test. This level of education is not sufficient, and young drivers are forced to learn everything else from experience, which can be incredibly dangerous. With extra education, perhaps having drivers ed as a required class in high school, the number of reckless drivers would likely be reduced. Another piece of education that hits home for many drivers is hearing stories from people who have been affected by dangerous drivers. After hearing about how someone’s family member was killed by a distracted or drunk driver, it makes people think about the immense guilt they would feel if they were in the position of the driver. With this in mind, people tend to be more cautious when driving afterwards. With educational classes on driving, and people willing to tell their personal stories related to the subject, I believe deaths caused by dangerous drivers would be reduced.

Luckily I have never been involved in a car accident, and neither have any of my friends and family. However, I have experienced friends of mine driving extremely recklessly, as they were young, new drivers that wanted to show off for their friends. While it’s not right, it is a common experience, but their friends should call them out for their behavior before somebody gets hurt, even if it is hard to do. Because sooner or later, when somebody is driving 60 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour school zone, somebody will get hurt, or killed, and nobody wants to have that happen. I have been driving for a little under a year now, and I have a phone holder in my car for when I have to use the GPS, that way I can look at the directions while still keeping my eyes on the road. It is also always good to familiarize yourself with situations that you are unsure about what to do, such as who goes at a 4 way stop sign. Steps like these help to make driving much safer, and if everybody is able to collectively agree to better themselves, deaths on the road will decrease dramatically.