In The Driver’s Seat

In The Driver’s Seat

Every driver knows that it’s important to stay focused when behind the wheel, but many aren’t aware of the terrifyingly high number of casualties that have been caused by unsafe and uneducated drivers. Depending on each driver’s home-state, there are different requirements for receiving a permit and a license, but they all have a few things in common: in order to receive a permit drivers have to know enough about the driving rules in their state to pass a test and have driven a set number of hours and have their driving skills tested by a professional to receive a license. Despite these rules, tens of thousands of drivers die in highway fatalities every year. It’s important for people behind the wheel to remain educated and alert in order to minimize these casualties.

When I was in elementary school, my sister, my mother, and I were in an accident that we never expected. While picking up my sister after school, a man driving the car behind us failed to put his car in park and hit us. My sister was stuck between the two cars because she had been placing her instrument in our trunk and my mother and I were jerked forward, as the force of his car hitting ours moved it despite it being in park. To make the story short, it changed our lives from that moment on. Yet the accident could have been avoided. The man was clearly not alert enough to be on the road, let alone around so many young students, and he was seemingly unaware of the fact that cars are to be put in park when stopped in a carloop. There are many steps that can be taken to avoid accidents like this in the future.

It’s argued that sometimes even the most educated drivers get into accidents, but that occurrence is significantly less common than accidents caused by distracted or uneducated drivers. Keeping drivers informed and updated about rules in their area is important when reducing the number of accidents that can happen. If a driver is aware of the laws where they’re driving, they’re less likely to unintentionally violate them and put themselves and others in danger. Of course, it’s not possible to entirely eliminate the possibility of accidents, but education and alertness can greatly improve the numbers. As for individual drivers, they can do their best to always remain alert and focused on their surroundings when driving. The less distracted the driver is, the less likely they are to be involved in an accident.

The continued education of drivers, as well as their individual effort to stay updated on the laws and regulations, is the best way to reduce the number of automobile accidents and therefore fatalities.