With Safety and Responsibility For All: A Few Key Solutions

With Safety and Responsibility For All: A Few Key Solutions

36,560. That’s the number of lives lost in automotive accidents. Around 34,000 people die in the same accidents each year. This is more than the number of deaths in the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan combined (3,836 and 1,833 respectively, NHTSA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war). More people are dying in accidents than in wars, and what can we do about it? It’s too essential of a part of our lives to totally eliminate. Therefore, driving, as necessary as it may seem, can only be safe if drivers develop key habits and take necessary steps to make it so.

Firstly, how can you have safe actions and a safe behavior on the road if you don’t have the right habits and mindset about driving in the first place? While we’ve been taught to be defensive drivers, that doesn’t mean aggressive drivers. It is imperative that drivers be or calm and attentive. Pay attention to not only the road, but also everything on and around it, including signs, lights, and lanes. Different signs mean different things thanks to their color and shape. For example, a “yield” sign doesn’t necessarily mean “stop”; it means “only stop if cars are coming from other directions, because they have the right-of-way.” The same is somewhat true for lights and lanes, too. Also, watch out for other drivers. Sadly, not everyone abides by the laws, so don’t try to get in road rage battle with them. You may be running late for work, but that won’t justify breaking the law, or worse, getting in a wreck.

As of today, the best habit that anyone could break is probably texting and driving, or anything of the like. It is simply a part of common sense, obviously one of the best things you can have not only on the road, but in life. There are too many stories about people dying because of this, so I’ll only tell of one I know of in particular. A girl in my town was killed in a car wreck because she was texting and driving. Then, not to shame her, but as a lesson to all, they paraded her car on a trailer with a banner with her picture that read, “Don’t text and drive.” From what I remember, that was the eye-opener of the dangers of texting and driving for me.

While I haven’t been in any accidents myself, a few of my relatives have been in a few wrecks, whether it was their fault or not. Needless to say, they didn’t die, but they were injured for a while. With that, I’ve learned that even though some wrecks don’t kill you, they could possibly make short- or long-term changes to your life.

Once you have those kinds of habits down pretty well down pat, your next priority should be to educate yourself. Getting a driver’s manual is probably the best way to do that; look no further than that and any other forms of drivers ed. You should also learn the road laws of your state as every state’s laws differ from one another. For example, it may be illegal to eat and drive in one state but perfectly fine to do so in another. While Drivers Ed is optional in trying to acquire your license or permit, it can still teach you a lot of extra, yet essential, information. It can also open your eyes to the consequences of poor driving behavior (i.e., “drinking under the influence”, texting and driving, reckless driving, etc.)

However, what good would it be to be the only one in your family or circle of friends educated on this topic? Be a good Samaritan, and take some time to educate others about this topic. There are a few ways you can educate them: of laws of which they may be unaware, of experiences you or your family/friends went through, or by lending or giving them your driver’s manual.

Last, but not least, you must make sure you (and your car) are prepared. The first action you should take toward this is to make sure you won’t be distracted while driving. This can be done through simple things, like not blasting music while you drive or more complex ways, like having emergency items stored in your car. Those items can include, but are not limited to, emergency blankets, a glass breaker/seatbelt cutter tool, and non-perishable food.

More importantly, make sure you are driving a safe vehicle by getting it repaired and servicing it regularly. If it doesn’t have a spare, you should consider getting one. “You would rather have it and not need it than and not have it”, as it’s been said about many things.

Investing in a phone mount for phone calls is more than worth the money. With the phone at or closer to eye level, you will be able to pay attention to the road and pick up calls a lot better. Although some of us may hate to hear this, but it’s best to not eat and drive either. While you may not be as distracted as when texting someone, it still counts as distracted driving.

Speaking of distracted driving, make sure your passengers aren’t distracting you, either. Any disruptive behavior in a vehicle can cause (and has caused) drivers to get into wrecks. Not only should you be calm as I mentioned earlier, but try to keep a non-distracting environment in your vehicle (not that you shouldn’t have fun).

In conclusion, driving is only as safe as the ones driving. With the right mindset and the right actions taken towards safe driving, you have the possibility to not only save your life, but others’ as well. You can’t force people to drive safely, but you can always do your part in educating them, as well as yourself. Be prepared in your mind, make sure your car is safe, and always be ready to learn new ways to make our roads safer for everyone.