The Essentials of Safe Driving

Driver education has a very important role in everyone’s lives. It helps spread awareness on what can happen while driving, and how a person should be aware when they drive. Driver education also helps reduce deaths by educating teens and others on how they are supposed to drive the correct way.

Steps that can reduce the number of deaths can be to not enforce distracted driving upon yourself. There are three types of distractions: manual, visual, and cognitive. Manual distraction is when you take your hand off of the wheel, and hold something else. This could be holding a cheeseburger and eating, turning the radio up, or even moving your rearview mirror. You can fix these problems by making sure all of the mirrors are adjusted before you take off to drive, making sure the radio is set to where you are able to hear sirens, and making sure you eat or drink before you drive. A visual distraction is where your sight is being distracted. Visual distraction happens when the sun is bright, when it is dark outside, and if it is raining. Visual distractions can be very dangerous because they can make you take your eyes off the road. To fix these, make sure you use your bright lights at night, wear sunglasses if it is too sunny, and make sure you have good windshield wipers. The third distraction is cognitive. Cognitive distractions take your mind off of the road. This could be listening to the radio, or even having a deep conversation. Texting while driving involves all of these distractions: manual, visual, and cognitive. By not being a distracted driver, it will reduce the number of deaths caused by driving.

Another step that could help reduce the deaths, is following the laws. Some of these driving laws include going the speed limit, and moving over for a first responder, and not drive under the influence. These laws are there for a reason, to help keep everyone safe. Speeding is not safe because a driver is more likely to get into an accident than a person going the speed limit. Moving over for a first responder is also important because they could be going at a high speed to save a life. Driving under the influence of some form is also illegal. This is very dangerous because the brain is impaired. So, this means that the vision and every other part of the body are impaired, which can affect someone’s driving greatly. By following these laws, this will prevent deaths.

I have not been in a car accident, but someone who was very important in our hometown was. Her name was Jill Hurst. She was loved by so many and she was one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She was always so happy and had big dreams for her future. These dreams were ruined by a high-speed police chase that happened at an intersection. The car that was speeding hit the car that Jill and her friends were in. She ended up being taken to the hospital and later died from her injuries, Of course, this was not Jill’s fault. This terrible accident has taught me to always be safe when I am driving and to realize what is going on around me because car accidents are not a joke. You might think that you are safe and that nothing like this could happen to you, but in reality, it can. It can happen to anyone. You just have to be aware of unsafe drivers and hazards.

One step that can be taken to help people to become better drivers, is to take a driving class. I recently took a class, called Alive at 25. I thought it would be a review of basic driving etiquette, but it really made me realize how important it is to be a safe driver. There were videos and simulations included in the course, showing what could happen to anyone. I think that everyone should take a course like this in their lifetime, especially in their teen years when they are new to driving. Younger drivers are extremely more likely to be involved in a car accident, and I think that this class will help.

In the end, you make your own decisions. Only you can control your behavior. When you are driving, you have to control your behavior and also be respectful of the other drivers. Driving comes with responsibility, and if you mess up, it could be over. You might not get a second chance. So, everyone should take a safe driving class and be aware of what could happen if someone is distracted or breaks the laws.