The Importance of Safety While Driving

I wake up in the Emergency Room, with the vague recollection of a car coming head on. I hear the beeps from the monitors and smell the burnt flesh around me. I begin to recall the creaking metal from my overturned car, the desperate calls for help from my wife, yet I can’t muster the strength to move. Blackness. My entire life has just shattered without me realizing, yet I have no control of what is happening nor what happened. The next months go by extremely quickly. I undergo many operations, where metal pieces are implanted into my body and others taken out like a game of Operation. I am told I am lucky to have survived and may never walk again, all because of a car crash in which I had no control. Not only was my life ruined, but also the teen behind the wheel, going the wrong direction while texting.

This is not my story, but one told to me by a respected officer in a safety briefing. Texting and driving is an extremely bad idea, and we are always told that distracted driving kills – and in this case, it destroyed the future of both parties (the teen died). I agree that the officer’s crash was almost entirely out of his control, yet defensive driving tactics and always paying attention at the wheel, all concepts commonly taught in drivers’ ed, could have helped prevent a crash with this teen. Defensive driving teaches you to be prepared for what others are going to do, and also to scan ahead to put yourself in the safest position possible. This can prevent deaths by preventing the accidents in the first place, which are the number one cause of automobile related deaths. Along with this, drivers’ ed helps to correct common misconceptions that could lead to a fatal accident – something as simple as looking over your shoulder before changing lanes (something I didn’t know you had to do), could be the difference between accident and no accident, or worse, life and death. I feel through a combination of these and multiple other factors, drivers’ ed can help prevent deaths as a result of driving.

In order to reduce the amount of deaths related to driving, education, clearly marked roadways, and published automobile safety guidelines. Education can save lives through many ways – whether it be something as simple as wearing a seatbelt (which is very important for surviving a crash if one were to take place), or what to do when your car begins to hydroplane – education can help prevent accidents, or help to make the accidents more survivable when they take place. Clearly marked roadways and properly maintained infrastructure can also help reduce accidents by decreasing the amount of people going the wrong way, and can also help those who aren’t familiar with the speed limits in the area to know a safe speed. Published automobile safety guidelines also help to reduce the fatality of accidents as they make cars safer than they would be if no such restrictions were in place. Airbags, seatbelts, and crumple zones should all be included in these guidelines and mandates.

Although I haven’t been in a car accident before, my step-mom was involved in a crash in which the other car was totaled. There was irresponsible driving on both parts – one party had their headlights turned off, and was going around the corner much too quickly, and then attempted to go around my step-mom, while she attempted to make a lane change to get out of his way, in which they both collided. Here, the other party should have been going the speed limit around the corner, with his headlights on (it was still dark), and should have slowed down instead of weaving between her car. However, my step-mom could have let him pass instead of attempting to get out of his way (as the left lane is the passing lane, she shouldn’t have changed lanes). In this case a drivers’ ed course could have been beneficial for both of them, but luckily no one was injured.

In order to become a better and safer driver, I can practice situational awareness and defensive driving in order to prepare myself for upcoming threats. Along with this, I can follow guidelines and regulations such as those for seatbelts, car inspections, and rules of the road. Also, I can avoid experiencing “Road Rage”, which is extremely dangerous and can result in a crash.

In conclusion, drivers’ ed courses prevent deaths by decreasing the amount of accidents caused by ignorance, and help to improve defensive driving skills. Guidelines and regulations help to make the road a safer place, and I can be safer by following all of them, along with practicing defensive driving and situational awareness.