Driving and the Choices We Make

Driving and the Choices We Make

Whether 16, 20, or 45, the majority of people reach a coming of age where they choose to become a driver. However, it is a common misconception that driving is a right rather than a privilege. To obtain a license, no matter what state, a person typically must pass both a written and practical exam. During that time, that person must understand specific traffic laws, signage, and safety strategies. While the written test questions the various laws and signs on the road, the practical exam complements assess the front loaded information while operating a vehicle. At first, the massive amounts of information and call for practice may seem overwhelming, but it is essential to creating a safe environment for all. On the road, an unsafe driver is not only putting himself at risk, but everyone around him.

Unfortunately, most come to disregard most, if not all, of the aforementioned through the ignorance produced by ‘experience’. Driving more and more fuels this exponential state of comfort and confidence promoting risky and irresponsible operating decisions. When I was learning how to drive, my instructor constantly reaffirmed the importance of this idea of defensive driving. It is almost impossible to create a perfect world where every driver follows every speed limit and law. The purpose of defensive driving is to not provoke or fuel other’s dangerous driving. From letting the BMW cut you off to straying away from a tailgater, there are many practices to simply avoid certain situations that could result in injury to both involved and possibly those around. In fact, the driver is not the only one who can practice defensive driving. It is also the responsibility of the passenger to take initiative and request their driver take more defensive measures. It should be noted, it is not nor should be the duty of any driver to enforce traffic laws on those around them. It is vital to leave that job to the police and choose defensive driving.

Thankfully, I have never been a victim of a car accident. This does not mean I have no experience being in a car with an unsafe driver. In fact, both my parents are not the most safe drivers. They often choose not to use signals, text while driving, or even mindlessly drive in between lanes. I commonly take it upon myself to request they put their phone down, even offering to text whoever they needed myself. I nicely hint the importance of not using blinkers by simply asking if they were supposed to use one or telling them a story, false or not, of someone who almost made me run into them by not using their blinker. My experience with unsafe driving is not limited to just my home. I constantly see peers recklessly doing donuts in the parking lot or speeding off at 30+ mph over the speed limit out of the parking lot. I try to avoid riding with those who choose unsafe driving. I also actively request my friends put away their cell phone or follow procedures that make myself feel safer as a passenger. All the initiatives I take toward my friends and family are not ill-intended. These are all steps we can take to make ourselves and our community safer on the roads. Remember, reckless driving puts both the driver as well as everyone around them around at risk. Driving may be a necessity for many, but it is also a privilege that must be treated with great caution.