Know Your Driving

Know Your Driving

A young girl and her brother were sound asleep in the back of an old Dodge Durango. They were driving intercity, a man in the green truck swerved and crashed into the back of the car. The man that hit the two young kids never checked to make sure we were okay. Instead, he drove off, leaving the mother in a state of shock, a broken car, and the two kids still sleeping.

We never saw that green truck again. Although I wish that we could have sued the man for all he had, part of me knows that we were just lucky enough of being uninjured and alive. From this experience, I learned I cannot control what others do on the road; I can only control what I do. In order to reduce the number of deaths that are caused by driving, drivers should: really know the rules of the road, have a lengthy time of road experience, and slowdown.

At the age of seventeen, I held my own license. Before I even got my permit, my parents made me read through the PA’s driver manual at least two times because they believe learning the rules of the road is important. Nowadays, we have permit test apps that help us prepare with actual questions from the permit test so that we are able to get it with ease. I learned it is better to take the time and learn the rules, than to pass and not know what you are doing.

I tend to believe that driving education is also the experience you have. Before an individual turns eighteen, they must wait six months in order to get a license. Six months does not give anyone the full experience of what they may come across. I think when having a lengthy amount of time being on the road, it is highly probably that one will become familiar with unexpected situations and how to deal with those situations and can overall stay safe on the road.

Drivers are often in a rush to get to different places that put the safety of others at stake. My parents taught me that the speed limit is there for a reason, stay within it. Do not ride right behind someone; I’m not getting to my destination any faster, it is better to let them have their space, so in case I step on the brake, I don’t run into them. I have a hard time accepting this rule since I equate with going fast as being cool. However, speed can also equate with recklessness, causing a driver to lose control. This being said, I will not cause my own life or another’s when I can control my own actions.

Driving is not taken as seriously as it should be and most often think they own the road. An excellent slogan to go by for those who care about theirs and others safety is, “The best drivers are aware that they must beware.”