The Road to Safety: Driver’s ED

The Road to Safety: Driver’s ED

My family and I lay awake during a beautiful February night, enjoying each other’s’ company as we wait for my sister’s arrival from a long day of Nursing clinicals. Suddenly, my mother receives a phone call from my sister; immediately, a look of fear appears on her face. Our night had been ruined. We learned that my sister had been involved in a car accident caused by distracted driving, one of the primary causes for car accidents (Business Insider). Luckily, my sister had only suffered of back pain after the car accident, but many across the US aren’t as fortunate as deaths frequently occur due to car accidents. The injuries and deaths caused by car accidents can be easily prevented and reduced through a strong driver education background, displaying its importance for drivers. If adults and teens obtain the necessary driver’s education, they are able to have knowledge of certain precautions and learn skills that ensure the safety of drivers and non-drivers on roads. For instance, possessing awareness of other drivers’ lives and families beyond the road is the first step that is taught within Driver’s Education. This step forms the foundation and motivates the following of other steps such as eliminating distractions and abiding to speed guidelines and road rules to guarantee safe driving. Though I haven’t been in a car accident, I’ve experienced reckless driving during many occasions. To illustrate, a family friend and I picked up some fast food and were driving home when she asked me to feed her fries. I stressed that she should wait to eat until arriving home to prevent additional distractions as she drove. However, she proceeded to grab a fry from the bag that she mistakenly dropped onto her lap. Without hesitating, she shifted her eyes towards the ground and away from the road to grab the fallen fry. As a consequence, the car drifted into a lane heading in the opposite direction where we nearly encountered a head on collision. This event could have been prevented by my family friend if she was aware of her surroundings and kept her attention onto the road instead of the food. From this experience and my sister’s car accident, I was able to recognize the importance of being aware of my surroundings through constantly checking my mirrors and blind spots for other drivers, maintaining the lawful speed, and assuring that I understand and follow all road signs and rules. One driving mistake might not seem like a big deal, but it can result in countless numbers of death and families being torn apart.