In the Drivers Seat

Unfortunately, I have been the cause of several preventable car accidents. From speeding during the Minnesota winters to taking my eyes off the road to change a song.

I attended the weekly drivers ed classes in high school that taught me the basic driving rules, how to take a left turn, when to stop, and what each road sign means. Which prevented me from driving onto incoming traffic, knowing when to signal and to be vigilant to the many road signs. However, it failed to discuss the importance of the weather conditions; especially living in Minnesota. If it were to add the importance of climate, it can really make a huge impact to young teens who are not fully aware of common sense yet. As a young teen, it did not cross my mind that even though it is not snowing, the roads can still be extremely dangerous and as a result, I took a fast turn and crashed into a snow bank, destroying the front of my car.

One of the steps that everyone can take to reduce the number of deaths is to simply put the phone down. We all have a smart phones with distracting features, music, GPS, texting, etc. If we were to put our phones on the “do not disturb” setting when driving which silences all the notifications, it eliminates the temptation to check the phone. Another step is to always be aware of your surroundings, one might be following all the rules, having the phone off, going the speed limit but can still be part of an accident due to the reckless driver next to you. Being aware of the drivers around you can allow to have a quick reaction if necessary.

A step I can take to be a better driver is to listen to the weather advisors when there is a snow storm or a thunderstorm to take extra precautions by leaving earlier to not feel rushed and to slow down on the road. Another step I can take is to care more for pedestrians, I have noticed people do not listen to the rules when crossing the street thus, resulting in an accident. It leaves the responsibility to the driver to always be on the lookout for pedestrians. I always push others when being a backseat driver is to eliminate any unnecessary distractions, telling others riding with you to keep quiet, never drive when feeling drowsy and to always be cautious to your surroundings.