Defensive Driving and the Accident Booklet

If there is one subject that taught me more about life and death in high school, it would be drivers ed. My teacher required students to create an accident booklet where we would find and read about accidents in the local newspapers, magazines, or from the news, and answer three basic questions: What was the CAUSE of the accident? How could this accident have been AVOIDED? And what could the driver have done DIFFERENTLY to avoid the accident? That particular assignment alone made so many classmates and me think about driving defensively and about the role we play in reducing the number of deaths as a result of our driving. Several steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. First, most accidents could have been completely avoided if the driver had just reduced speed. Secondly, in many cases, if the driver had been less distracted or not impaired while behind the wheel, the accident might not have occurred. Finally, by being alert, defensive drivers who follow the Rules of the Road and watch out for other drivers can significantly reduce accidents. First, drivers must drive the posted speed limit to keep safe. Driving too fast or too fast for wet, icy, or snowy conditions is the leading cause of most accidents. When one drives fast on a wet surface, one runs an increased risk of sliding into a ditch or mailbox. This occurrence damages the vehicle and other property and can also cause the driver to become injured.

Secondly, drivers should stay alert and focused on the road and the surrounding areas around the car. Doing so will allow the driver to have quick responses to the environment and other cars on the roadways. Being alert also allows the driver to find a safe exit plan when following traffic. For example, when following a car ahead of yours or meeting oncoming traffic, a smart and alert driver will see the exit areas before one is necessary.

Lastly, defensive driving can reduce accidents on roadways. There have been many times during which I have come to a four-way stop only to have aggressive drivers blow the stop sign in front of them.

This has occurred more than three times since obtaining my driver’s license. Additionally, there have been many times when a distracted or tired driver has crossed the centerline into my path, causing me to reduce my speed or get off the road completely. As scary as this is, I continue to watch others’ driving just as much as my own.

In conclusion, several steps can be taken to be a better and safer driver. Obeying the posted speed limits, staying alert and focused, and driving defensively and unimpairedly are just a few of the steps one can take to reduce the number of roadway accidents and highway fatalities in the United States.