Defensive Driving

Being an educated driver is the best way to reduce the number of driving related deaths. I have taken an additional driver safety course done through the BMV, and my only regret was not taking it sooner. Driving can easily become fatal if you do not pay full attention and drive defensively. If more people took driver safety courses, I believe that would reduce the amount of traffic accidents greatly. In my own driving I have noticed that after taking the course I drive slower, pay more attention, and am a calmer driver in general than how I drove before the course. Just seeing one car can be the difference in getting in a car accident.

Just about a year ago, I was in a car accident where my brother was the driver of the vehicle. In one lapse of judgement, he ran a stop sign and we were struck by an oncoming vehicle. My other brother was also in the car, and he had to have an ambulance come to the scene as he was the one who was directly hit by the vehicle. Thankfully, we have all fully recovered, but it truly only takes a moment to change your life. Taking a driver safety class would show people that arriving alive is much better than shaving a few minutes from the commute time, it just is not worth it. Advocating for others to also slow down and focus on driving would be a great influence on general drivers. My grandfather always told us that we were “Precious cargo”, and that we needed to drive our own vehicles with that in mind. I believe that if more people took the safety class and saw the potential consequences of driving recklessly, then they might change their mind about some of their current habits. Making the conscious decision to slow down and pay attention might just save a life.