One Driver at a Time

One Driver at a Time By: Hannah Kauffman

Driving requires a lot of focus no matter who you are, where you are driving, and what type of car you are driving. All around the world, drivers have different driving styles and skills that may make them more or less adaptable in certain situations. There is a large significance of driver education in reducing the number of fatalities because the education a driver gets at the start will carry on with them through the rest of their driving lives. Many steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving such as calling your friends and family out on irresponsible driving and being a safe driver by following the laws of the road.

To begin with, divers education is very important to create smart and safe habits when becoming a driver, and these skills will likely stick with a person for the rest of their lives. Teaching someone to drive the right way could possibly prevent them from becoming one of the 1.35 million deaths caused by car crashes each year! According to Idrivesafely.com, 22 fatal car crashes occur with teenagers every weekend and most of these crashes come from irresponsible driving behaviors such as texting and driving. Even though 94% of young adults know the dangers of texting and driving, over 34% of them do it anyway! The importance of driver education comes into play here because whoever teaches the new driver needs to inform them that texting and driving should never be aloud and is an extremely dangerous activity for not only them and their passangers, but other drivers around them as well. Starting new drivers with a responsible teacher who punishes bad driving habits will allow those rules to stick in their mind when they get to be on the road by themselves. Many studies have shown that those who are taught by an engaging instructor who has clear instructions will be the best benifited and more likely to wear their seat belt and stay away from bad behavior like drinking and driving. If you or anyone you know is instructing a driver there are some simple rules that can help endorse safety such as no phones while driving, no multitasking, being well rested, and being prepared for the environment where you will be driving. As one can see, starting with a solid driving education is vital for making the road a safer place.

There are many steps that can be taken to make the road a safer place and reduce the deaths caused by car crashes. According to multiple articles, the number one cause of car crashes is distracted divers, which can include being on your cellular device while driving, taking your eyes off the road, or even applying makeup! Although these things sound like they should be obvious not to do, being distracted happens very commonly on the road. In order to overcome this and lessen the rates of fatalities, do not have any objects that can distract you while driving, and keep your phone turned off. Removing these distractions right away can be a lifesaver for you and others in the long run. What is distracting you while you drive? Other common causes of deaths related to accidents involve drinking and driving, reckless driving/speeding, and bad weather conditions. In order to change this, remember to always follow the speed limit, stay sober when driving, and in cases of bad weather, stay extra engaged and slow down if need be. If the conditions are so bad that you feel like you are in danger, pull over in a safe spot until the conditions clear up. Think about what you can change to make your driving better and safer for everyone.

In my personal experiences, I have never been in a car accident and I am very blessed and thankful for that. However, I have seen some irresponsible driving from other cars around me when I was driving. There have been times when cars have pulled out in front of me when it was not their turn and if I was not aware of my surroundings, I would have been in a crash. Personally, I think that we as drivers can not assume that the other drivers on the road will make the right decisions and therefore we need to be extremely engaged on the road and the other drivers that are sharing the road with us. A passenger should always make sure that the driver is watching the road and they should call out any reckless behavior because it is always for everyone’s best interest. For myself, I can be a safer driver by turning my phone completely off so I am not distracted by the notifications, I can prepare by being well rested before I drive, and I can follow the speed limit and other safety laws with full confidence. From now on, I will observe those whom I drive with when I notice they are not being safe, and I will speak up and inform them on what they are doing. I want to do my part to make the world a better place and I think that starts with one safe driver at a time.

Works Cited

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/find-out-what-are-the-leading-causes-for-most-car-accidents-1027930348#:~:text=Distracted%20driving.,paying%20attention%20to%20the%20road.&text=Speeding%20is%20the%20second%20most%20common%20cause%20of%20accidents.