The Importance of Safe Driving

The Importance of Safe Driving

One may not realize that in every car they pass, there is a driver or passenger who is loved by many people. Driving responsibly can not only save your life, but it can save the lives of thousands of other people. According to the CDC, 2 million people a year are injured in car accidents. With a few simple steps that all drivers can take, this number can drastically be reduced.

Drives Education is a program that helps new drivers learn the rules of the road and much more. Some of these are the teaching of road signs, how to safely change lanes, and vehicle safety and maintenance. Some may argue that you can learn this while driving with your parents, but they do not dive into the consequences of doing these wrong or explain them in depth. Drivers ed not only teaches new drivers the rules of the road but prepares them for almost every scenario they could run into while driving such as construction or a car accident. If all new drivers were to take Drivers Education, the number of deaths involving car accidents would decrease.

Another way to reduce deaths related to driving is by avoiding distracted driving. Turning your phone on silent or storing it somewhere out of your reach could be the difference between arriving to your destination safely of ending up in the hospital. The NHTSA states that in the five seconds you look at your phone while going 55 mph, you travel the length of a football field. These five seconds could be the difference between life and death for not only yourself but others, so turn your phone off and give your full attention to the road.

Actions everyone can take to drive more safely include not going on your phone or engaging in other activities such as applying makeup, eating, or smoking. Some solutions to avoid doing these are to pull over or have your passenger help you out such as responding to your texts for you.

Although I have never had a first-hand experience with a car accident, I am aware of the importance of driving safely. I believe everyone should be educated correctly on the rules of the road and the consequences of driving irresponsibly.