Safe Driving is No Accident

Allyson Guan

3 September 2020

Safe Driving is No Accident

The importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving is crucial because one small mistake while driving can cost you your life and/or someone else’s life. Many steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. The most important is to think and emphasize safety first! Whether it’d be reducing your speed or keeping the appropriate distance between you and the car in front of you, it minimizes the risk of accidents. Never use phones or any mobile device while driving. Even though this is obvious, many people still do this, and mobile devices are a huge contributor to traffic accidents since they require one’s full attention, not to mention it quadruples the risk of you crashing your vehicle. Next, be aware of your surroundings and don’t follow too close to someone else’s vehicle. Always check your mirrors and your surroundings once in a while and especially when turning, changing lanes, and reversing. Being aware and keeping a reasonable distance away from other vehicles allows you more time to react if something does happen. Generally, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Braking earlier is also good to practice because it will prevent rear-ending, which is an extremely common type of collision. Luckily, I have never been in a car accident, but a friend of mine has. She was headed somewhere she didn’t know very well, and she got confused with the GPS directions which caused her to keep changing lanes at the last minute. Unfortunately, she then hit a car that was in her blind spot, which she didn’t check, while changing lanes. This leads me to another tip, which is to try not to switch lanes too often. Especially when there are a lot of cars around, it is not the best idea to constantly change lanes at the last minute, even if you use your blinkers. From her story, I learned that sometimes it’s safer to miss that turn and find an alternative route to your destination. Overall, I am very passionate about being a safe driver, because the last thing I want is to get into a car accident and put harm to myself and others. To become a better driver, I will limit distractions while driving, never make last minute decisions, and make sure to study the road ahead to predict incoming circumstances.