Drivers education initiative 2020: in the driver’s seat

Just learning how to drive is a milestone and a blossoming sign of maturity. To many teens and young adults, driving is just a pleasure as well as a sense of freedom, but the reality of driving can be hectic,overwhelming, and very dangerous. According to the National Safety Council, The number of people who died in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 is estimated to be the highest in 13 years, despite the fact that there has been a dramatic drop in miles driven because of the pandemic. Those lost lives represent a 24% spike in the road crash death rate from 2019, the biggest increase in 96 years, since 1924. Learning to drive is a substantial step and should not be mistaken as inconsequential just because driving is an everyday action. It is crucial to implement the necessary driving precautions for not only the safety of yourself, but for the well-bing of others around you as well.

Moreover, when talking about driving precautions, driver’s education is the first thing that comes to many. The purpose of drivers education is to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for vehicle safety both as a driver and as a pedestrian.Driver education is associated with a lower incidence of both crashes and convictions – reducing crashes by 4.3% and convictions by nearly 40%. With these statistics, this shows that drivers’ education is effective and should be taken seriously. Drivers education gives everyone a fair chance to practice the daily activity of driving as safely as possible. Without these safety precautions driving is one of the most dangerous menacing things to partake in. Furthermore, taking driver education is just one of many ways to reduce the number of casualties caused by driving. other examples of proactive and effective ways to reduce driving casualties is by being aware of not just the car in front of you but also the cars in front of those cars. When you are aware of every car that is around you and every car that is in close proximity to you then you can see what is happening earlier. When doing so, if something goes wrong, you have a better chance to be able to prevent or reduce harm and damage to yourself and others around you. The next safeguard is to be a predictable driver. When you are unsure or not clear, to surrounding drivers, this causes confusion. Unpredictable drivers can cause collisions that can be avoided. Some ways to be clear and precise to other drivers around you is to always use your blinker, stay in your lane, and at a four way stop sign, always use eye contact to be clear. This will eliminate confusion about who is going. This alone will make others around you feel confident and allow you to be the safest you can. The third protection is to avoid distractions. It is very easy to find something that catches your attention which becomes a distraction to you. It is very crucial that you do not allow yourself to lose your focus and concentration on the road. This can be a huge risk to yourself and everyone around you. It takes one second for you to look at a distraction and another second for you to be on the other side of the road in a head on collision. This can easily be prevented by turning off all electronics, not having earbuds in your ears, and simply by having self discipline. The final defense is to not depend on other drivers. Always rely on yourself and your defensive driving. When you rely on others you put yourself in harm’s way because you never know what the other driver is thinking or what the driver will do. When you rely on yourself you provide a security for yourself which will be a form of protection for you. All of these things are just what you can do as a defensive driver to reduce fatalities and practice good driving habits that will protect people on the road.

On June 15, 2019, me, my mother, and my two sisters were involved in an accident in the city we live in. granted that street at that time of day is very busy. However, my mother is a very cautious driver and very aware of her surroundings. We were stopped at a red light. A few seconds later my mom looked up and I felt our car move a little. My mom tried to move out the way but there were cars on each side of us. She tried to prevent it but It was two late. As we were stopped, a car rear ended us and totaled our car. My sister had to get transported to the hospital in an ambulance. My mother had severe body pain. My youngest sister was diagnosed with migraines. The doctor said the accident was a trigger to her migraines. I had horrible lower back aches which hindered my performance in sports. We all had to do physical therapy twice a week. My mother saw that the man was looking down; assuming he was on the phone. Although my mother was aware of her surroundings she was not able to prevent this because the other car was coming too fast and the road was very busy. That one distraction caused physical and mental trauma to my family. If the man was self disciplined and would have given his undivided attention and his focus to the road he would’ve been able to go on his way without creating a dangerous environment to my family and the ones around us. I wouldn’t wish this trauma on anyone. I will do everything I can to provide a safe driving environment for myself and those around me. I pledge to always abide by the laws and to practice safe driving protocols. I will have the integrity of a great driver and lead by example to fellow drivers around me.