Drive Safe to Stay Alive

Learning how to operate vehicles, and learning the rules of the roads are two very different items. One can know how to press the gas pedal or the brake, but that does not help you when you need to change lanes or when it is your turn to go. The number of vehicular accidents resulting in death is primarily due to distracted driving or lack of knowing the rules of the roads.

When people are learning to drive, they should already know the rules of the roles. They should know what to do when a child or animal runs in front of their car, they should know what to do when their vehicle is slipping on ice. Educating drivers or upcoming drivers is the solution to reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving. When every driver knows what they are doing on the road, it would significantly reduce the number of vehicular deaths.

There are multiple steps that can be taken while driving to help reduce the number of deaths related to driving, the most important being driver’s education. As previously stated, when drivers know the rules of the road, they will not be put in situations where they do not know what to do, therefore resulting in fewer accidents and deaths. Before one begins driving, they should know how to properly react to certain situations. Another step is to do away with distractions, put away phones, do not turn the radio up too loud. Most vehicular accidents are due to drivers being distracted on their phones, they are not paying attention to the road, and cannot give the proper reactions.

While there are hundreds of vehicular accidents a day, my family and I have never experienced any accidents. Although, one time in Michigan, Mom and I were on our way home, and we hit a patch of black ice, which resulted in us spinning off the road. Thankfully, neither of us was hurt, nor were any of the drivers around us. Driving in the winter, especially in Michigan is very scary, one never knows when they could hit a patch of black ice. But one can prepare themself on how to react when put in that situation, for example, never slam on your brakes, pump them.

Even though I have never experienced an accident, I have witnessed a family member of mine practice unsafe driving. My siblings and I travel from Alabama to Michigan every summer, we meet my father halfway, and he then drives us the rest of the way to Michigan. In the summer of 2020, we were on our way to Michigan, and there was heavy traffic, dead halt only moving one-inch traffic. Rather than paying sole attention to the road, he was texting on his phone. The car in front of us started to accelerate, so did my father, but then the car stopped, my father, did not. Luckily he realized the car in front of us had stopped a second before he slammed into their trunk. To stop himself from rear-ending this car, he had to slam on his brakes, resulting in my siblings and I being jerked forward, hurting my neck and my sibling’s faces. When he suddenly hit the brakes, my head jerked forward, snapping my neck. And my siblings had their faces crushed into the seats in front of them. By not practicing safe driving, my father nearly caused an accident on an already jammed expressway, and even though he did not cause an accident, he did hurt my siblings and me.

Almost two years ago, I joined the world of drivers. Before I even touched the steering wheel of a car, I studied and learn all I could about the rules of the road. By doing this, I took my first steps at being a safe driver. This also allows me to be prepared for any situation I may be in while I am driving on the road. Another step that I take every time I drive is to shut out any distractions I may have inside of my car, I turn my music on (not too loud) before I start driving, I also turn on the “Do Not Disturb” feature on my phone, this way I will not be tempted to look at my phone while driving. To help others practice safe driving, I do not message people who I know are driving, this way they will not be tempted to check their phone while driving.