The Importance of Safe Driving

The Importance of Safe Driving

Driver education is extremely important when it comes to reducing the number of deaths because if everyone knew and used driver etiquette then the number of crashes and deaths would decrease. It is very important to be aware of your surroundings when driving. Drivers should not be looking straight ahead all the time when driving because this leads to tunnel vision. Every once in a while, you want to look in your side-view mirrors because you need to know what is not only in front, but also what is on the left and right of you. and you also need to use your rear view mirror to see what is behind you as well.

Another thing drivers can do to reduce the number of deaths caused by driving accidents is to monitor their speed, especially in rainy and snowy weather. When there is precipitation, it is safer to always travel at a slower speed than the speed limit because this will prevent hydroplaning which is when the tires skid on wet surfaces. Hydroplaning often leads to an accident. It is also important not to drive when drunk because this may cause you to make irresponsible decisions while driving and that can cause a fatal accident.

A car accident I have been in was when I was in Manhattan with my family and we were in a taxi. I remember my body suddenly jolted forward and my sister slammed her face on the back of the driver’s seat. I didn’t know what happened until we got out of the car and I saw that the taxi had hit the back of another car. Looking back I realized how important it was to wear your seat belt because it can mean the difference between life and death. I have never been the one driving the car in an accident, but I have been close a few times. In one case I was with a driving instructor and I was behind a bus when the bus stopped. I meant to press on the brake but I accidentally pressed on the gas and the car jolted forward. Luckily the instructor in the passenger seat stepped on the brake before I hit the bus.

From that experience I learned that it is very important to memorize the pedal and brake placement. I also saw how important it was to drive at a safe enough distance behind other vehicles so that you have enough time to stop just in case there is a missed calculation of the pedal placement or the vehicle in front of you stopped short. Another time I almost got in an accident was when I was driving at night and my dad was in the passenger seat. We were looking for the street I was supposed to turn on when my dad noticed a car stopped in front of me and I slammed on the brakes avoiding a rear end crash. I did not see the car because I was looking ahead at the street names. From that experience I learned that if you have to look for street names, then don’t take a long time looking at it while driving. It is best to take a quick glance and return your eyes to the road.

The steps that can be taken to become a safer driver is to always be aware of your surroundings and to be a defensive driver. This means that you are focused on the cars around you and when you’re on the road, always have an escape plan just in case a car comes out of nowhere and is headed directly towards you. Having this outlook will ensure the safety of everyone around you and everyone in your vehicle. Another important step to take is to avoid road rage because that won’t just harm the people involved, but that can also harm other people in traffic. Street racing and reckless driving must be avoided because if there is a crash then a lot of people can get hurt. Just because there are no Cops around does not give people the go ahead to break laws because it makes them feel good. There are laws for a reason, and that reason is to keep us safe. I have been driving for almost two years and I learned some very important lessons when it comes to situational awareness and knowing who has the right of way at stop signs. I also learned the importance of changing lanes correctly which is something I struggled with for a while. Safe driving habits are very important for the safety of other drivers on the road and for pedestrians and practicing these habits can save many lives in the long run.