The Right Answer

The Right Answer

By Hector Cedeno Indriago

As Americans, we have witnessed first-hand some of the most gruesome and ghastly events in history. World War I, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, Afghanistan conflict, just to name a few. In these events the highest cost was that of human life, which had and have been sacrificed to protect our nation. World War I took the life of 53,402 Americans in the span of two years. This fact raises a question. A question regarding other situations and events that have cost our nation as many, if not more, lives than any of these armed conflicts. These events are what we know as traffic incidents; accidents, including the death of 34,000 Americans each year as a result of driving, and the pressing inquiry to ourselves is: What can we do to prevent such happenings, and save the lives of many people?

The right answer is a collective action, that is made up of many individuals educated in making the right decision, every time, on the road. This is the importance of driver education, and how it immensely helps in reducing the probability that anyone, even those that do not drive a vehicle, could suffer a great loss at any given time. It is also the importance of how each person, like the one writing this essay or the one reading it, has in protecting one another as a driver.

Knowing the importance of each person as a driver, and their education as such, it should follow to obtain and/or provide said education, and act based on it. Thankfully, there are many schools and books that teach us the knowledge necessary to be a driver that ensures their own safety, and that of others; a safe driver. However, it is also important to educate one another as necessary of the steps, or actions, as drivers that ensure safety on the road.

There are many practices, optional or necessary, that make our roads safe. These are actions taken before, during, and after the act of driving. Before driving, one should check the conditions of the vehicle (tires, breaks, lights, visibility, lights panel, etc.) that assure the vehicle is and will work correctly. Following this, awareness of the environment is necessary before starting the vehicle. Checking the rear, parking floor, sides, and/or front of the vehicle can help to make sure no accidents take place. Finally, each driver and passenger should wear their seatbelt before starting a vehicle, as it can prevent serious injuries, including fatal ones, if an accident were to happen. Following this practice can help prevent many deaths, and sets up a driver and his passengers to begin a safe drive.

After starting the vehicle and beginning driving, it is extremely important to be aware of and focused on the road and the immediate surroundings. A safe driver should be able to predict common or expected situations such as pedestrians crossings, turning vehicles, speeding vehicles, weather, among others, but should also be prepared for unexpected events such as crashes, emergency vehicles, etc. It is imperative that a safe driver acknowledges that even if everyone on the road is to be held to the same standard of safety, there is always a possibility that there will be road participants who incur on these responsibilities, and being prepared for this could save a life. All these practices aid in the process of getting each person safe to their destination.

Finally, after arriving and finishing the act of driving, each person should inspect their vehicle conditions and prepare it for weather conditions if necessary. It is crucial that each driver keeps their vehicle in check and follows any instructions or guidelines to maintain their vehicle within working conditions (i.e. oil changes, tire wear, gas tank). This practice avoids unexpected situations where the vehicle does not work as predicted (i.e. engine misfires, break failure, steering failure), and could stop a life from being taken by an out-of-control vehicle.

In conclusion, it is of utmost importance to be or become an educated and safe driver, who can save lives on the road by practicing good judgement, acting based on their knowledge as educated road participants. There are many steps and actions that can be taken before, during, and after driving, such as being aware of vehicle and environmental conditions, that can help any person become a safe driver, and reduce the amount of horrible accidents that take the life of many Americans every year.