Driving Safe May Save Your Life

Earning a driver’s license at the age of 16 has become a rite of passage for teens. They are now able to go where they desire and can experience a new form of freedom. However, this happy and exciting moment can quickly turn dark without the proper education. We’ve all had to take driver’s education classes at some point before we earned the all important driver’s license. Usually it’s about a week long class eight hours a day where you learn about the rules of the road and most importantly how to drive safely. Even though it is not the most interesting thing to do, it is essential and there is a reason why it’s required before you can take your driving test. Without the proper education such as knowing how much room to leave between your car and the one in front of you, how to take a four way stop, how to merge on the freeway, etc, it could lead to more accidents, specifically accidents that end in fatalities.

The best way to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities is making sure you as a driver are confident in the rules of the road as well as following the laws when driving. If you don’t feel confident or are unsure then practice with someone who is an experienced and safe driver until you truly understand and feel confident to drive safely. If you need to brush up on the regulations and laws of safe driving utiliz sources such as the internet or library. They are a treasure trove of information and you can learn alot by researching. Another is taking drivers education classes. When I went through driver’s ed there were many people in the class who were there because they needed a refresher on driving safely. Take advantage of these resources; they are there to help everyone become competent and safe drivers and will most likely reduce the amount of accidents you may be in. I myself am guilty of disregarding driver safety. A month after I got my license I got into a car accident as I was heading into school one morning.

It was a rainy day and I was stopped at a stop sign trying to turn across two lanes of traffic. Traffic was heavy that day with everyone heading to work or school. I was anxious since there were four or five cars behind me and I was running late for school. I looked left and it was clear. I looked right, it was clear. I started turning left without looking again to make sure I was still clear. I turned my head back around midway through the turn and saw a car heading towards the driver’s side. For a split second it felt like time slowed down to a crawl. I knew I was going to get hit and I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it out unscathed. It seems cliche, but I saw my life flash before my eyes because I knew there was a possibility of death. The next thing I knew my car had jerked to the side sharply with the sound of metal hitting metal.I felt a pain in my chest and ribs as if I had been punched. I was in a daze for a few minutes but when my mind cleared I heard car horns continuously running. I realized that I caused this accident and the guilt took hold.

I was irresponsible and because of my lack of driver’s safety myself and someone else ended up getting hurt. It took me two years of practicing driving and relearning driver safety before I felt comfortable to drive alone again. Since then I have learned how to drive more responsibly such as checking both ways multiple times to make sure I’m clear to turn, slowing down at red lights rather than speeding up, as well as being vigilant of not only myself but of others driving around me. Some good tips to keep yourself safe from others driving irresponsibly are, driving the speed limit, giving them plenty of room, and keeping a cool head. Driving safely is essential and shouldn’t be taken lightly. I speak from experience as someone who caused the accident. It took me years to recover and isn’t an experience I would wish on my worst enemy. If there is anything you should take away from this essay it is to drive safely no matter what’s going on or where you’re going be conscientious of both yourself and others.