How Everyone Can Save a Life

How
Everyone Can Save a Life

The
role of drivers ed is huge to new and more experienced drivers
alike. Drivers ed teaches new drivers the basic rules of the
road as well as safe driver techniques such as how to regain control
of your vehicle when hydroplaning and scanning the road for hazards
ahead of you. These strategies combined with the knowledge already
implemented into drivers ed are saving lives on the road every
day by giving new drivers the know how in most every situation. There
are a lot of steps and strategies that could be taken to reduce the
amount of driving related deaths. One step that I think would benefit
the most are having wider lanes for cyclists on roads that allow
them. Another major step would be to implement a mandatory renewal
process for driver’s licenses. All drivers should have to renew
their license every five years with a paper test as well as a driving
test. This process would require drivers to remember strategies
learned in drivers ed as well as being able to take away
licenses from those unable to safely drive due to eyesight or other
disabilities. One more step in making the roads safer would be to
have harsher rules against DUI drivers. DUI drivers should have to
take a mandatory class every year and a mandatory driver test every
year along with their license suspension. The final major step that
should be implemented is a better method to keep drivers off of their
phones. All smartphones should implement the do not disturb while
driving feature that Apple has implemented on their phones. This
feature makes the road ten times safer due to putting the phone in do
not disturb until the driver turns it off him or herself. This topic
is very close to my heart due to my sister as well as one of my best
friends being in car accidents. My sister has been in two accidents,
both of which the cars were totaled. She was involved in one car
accident due to a driver who could not see that they were stopped for
a left turn on a one-way road. This driver should not have been
allowed to drive and should have never been on the road. As well as
my sister, my friend Michael got hit by a drunken driver. The
accident put his two passengers in the hospital and Michael in
physical therapy for months. Personally, there are many things I can
do to make the roads safer, many I learned in drivers ed. Put
my phone away while driving, make sure my mirrors are in the correct
position, do not succumb to road rage, and go the speed limit. Driver
education has taught me a lot of the strategies I use on the road
today and will continue to teach them to every driver making the road
a safer place for all of us.