Importance of Driving

• What is
  the importance of drivers ed in reducing the number deaths as
  a result of driving?

• What
  steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to
  driving?

• Have
  you ever had an experience of being in car accident or have seen
  your friends or family members driving irresponsibly?

• What
  steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help
  others become safer on the road?

I completed
drivers ed in 2016. The course consisted of a bunch of
different videos that we watched in two hour segments, homework
questions, and a few drives with an instructor. The most beneficial
parts were easily the drives with the instructor because it gave me
an opportunity to ask questions instead of simply being fed
information. This helped to build my confidence for making safe
decisions.

I think investing
in better public transportation could help limit the number of deaths
related to driving by reducing the number cars on the road. Another
strategy could be to invest in autonomous vehicle production. Tesla
has demonstrated that we have the technology available to make safe
autonomous vehicles. The autopilot program has better response times
than a human and it can’t get distracted. This means that we
wouldn’t have to address the distracted driving issue, one of the
largest causes of car accidents in the U.S. While we wait for this
technology to become available to the masses we have to keep our eyes
on the road and our phones in our pockets. One of the scariest parts
of driving is noticing that someone around me is on their phone—it’s
even worse on a bike.

I have been rear
ended multiple times in my high school parking lot by students on
their phones. The most traumatic accident I have been a part of,
however, was when my mom spun out on a highway entrance ramp. It was
during the winter and we hit a patch of black ice. Everyone in the
car was fine but cars kept coming down the entrance ramp and cars
were spinning off the road and flipping into ditches. We called the
police and by the time they arrived there were five accidents within
500 feet of each other. This experience taught me something that I
thought I already knew: you can’t be too careful when you’re
dealing with weather, whether it’s rain, snow, or anything else that
might fall from the sky.

To ensure my and
other people’s safety while driving, I always wear a seatbelt and
turn on my headlights for increased visibility. I also take note of
the weather before I get in the car in order to be aware of the road
conditions. Since I live in Michigan, it is precipitating a lot of
the time so I am always careful when driving on wet roads. This means
that I am more mindful of my speed and following distance. I will
drive the speed limit, or if there is low visibility, I may drive
below the speed limit as an added precaution. I try to help my mom
grow as a driver by reminding her to use her turn signal. She never
likes to hear my back seat driving but I think it’s important to
communicate with the other drivers on the road.