Safety on Wheels

James Atwell

Safety on Wheels

Driving is considered to be one of the best privileges an individual can have. It allows freedom and the capability for someone to do or go anywhere they desire. With this being said, driving also has the potential to be one of the deadliest activities. According to the National Safety Council, it was estimated that over 38,000 lives were lost due to vehicle accidents in 2019. States have numerous laws and regulations regarding vehicles in order to allow safety for what are essentially legal weapons. For example, take into consideration Maryland driving laws. In order to earn a license, an individual must go through multiple vigorous activities and classes such as many other states require. One of, if not the major requirement however is driver’s education.

In the state of Maryland, driver’s education requires 30 hours of classroom instruction and an additional 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction however, this can vary from state to state. What is the importance of driver’s education, however? Driver’s education allows the baseline knowledge for what an individual must know on the road. This class is often needed for safety reasons. For instance, lives can be saved by this course. Driver’s education allows an individual to take in the knowledge of what to do in a certain situation and test you for when this situation could happen. Responsibility is a must when driving. A car is a legalized weapon that many Americans have possession of and if responsibility isn’t shown, then lives could be put at risk. Taking the time and learning the steps that can be taken include numerous things. Following basic safety laws such as following the speed limit, adjusting mirrors, and wearing a seatbelt can play a major impact. Training for unexpected conditions will allow the driver to know how to properly control the vehicle and will ensure safety. The last item is as simple as paying attention to the road and avoiding distractions. For instance, about two months ago, one of my best friends was killed in a rear end collision due to a distracted driver. His wife and child lost both a husband and a father due to distracted driving. This could have been prevented if the driver would have payed attention to the road instead of being on her phone.

When speaking on ways to stay safe on the road and provide safety of others, there are numerous ways to allow this and ensure safety. The first way is ensuring your car is working properly and adjusting items such as mirrors and seats will allow visibility to be present so one may focus on the road. Following the speed limit and obeying traffic laws plays a major role in safety as well. Many accidents are caused due to high speeds and reckless driving. Following the speed limit and obeying the traffic laws lower the risk of accidents by a drastic amount. In my opinion, the most important thing to do when driving is to limit every distraction such as phones. Doing a simple task such as putting a phone on do not disturb while driving can allow so many lives to be saved. A text or phone call is not more important than a life.