Downs of Driving

There are few things that are more important to a high school student, whether male or female, than getting a drivers license. But, unfortunately, many of these young drivers will face some sort of tragedy through the damaging of a vehicle, a possible physical disability, or possible even loss of a life. Driver’s Education classes provide these young high school drivers the opportunity to learn how to respect the vehicles they are driving as well as the other ones they meet on the road with them, learn the laws of the road, and the consequences of disobeying these laws that have been put in place to protect them and others.

There are many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of fatalities caused by driving. One step that you can take is limiting the number of distractions you have while driving, one of the most common distractions currently, is cell phone usage while driving. How often when you are driving down the road do you witness someone texting or talking on their cell phone? Listening to the radio too loudly is also a distraction; you should be able to hear an oncoming emergency vehicle or another vehicle honking his or her horn at you without difficulty. Other examples of distractions include eating while driving, reading a book while driving, I have even witnessed a girl putting on makeup while she was driving. Other steps that you can take to limit the number of fatalities caused by driving include making sure you are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, wearing your seatbelt (as a driver or a passenger), making sure you get your eyes checked at least once every one to two years, and making sure your vehicle is in good working condition and well maintained.

Being a defensive but safe driver can also help prevent fatalities when driving. Not tailgating and leaving enough distance, at least two car lengths, between you and the car in front of you, will hopefully give you enough time to stop, in the event the car you are behind must quickly slam on their brakes. Certain weather conditions need to be considered as well. During the first 30 minutes of rain, the rain mixes with the grease and oil on the pavement causing it to be extremely slick and if you are driving fast or tailgating you are more likely to rear-end someone or possibly even hydroplane. Be sure and use windshield wipers and make sure that they are in working order and changed when needed so that you have a good visual field when driving with rain and snow. Severe weather conditions such as ice, or deep levels of snow should be avoided, especially if advised by Department of Transportation or other state agencies. Dense fog is another weather condition that can make driving hazardous therefore making sure that the lights work on your vehicle and again that you are keeping enough distance between you and the vehicle in front of you are important things to keep in mind. Making sure that you follow the posted speed limits and not driving over or under the speed limit or drive reckless can help in preventing a motor vehicle accident as well. These are a few of the steps that one can take to help prevent fatalities while driving.

Some things are unfortunately out of the driver’s control but being an alert and defensive driver will help you prevent you or someone else from becoming a driving fatality statistic. Sometimes being a passenger and being able to tell someone you are riding with, or you are supposed to ride with that they are putting their life or the lives of others in danger can be difficulty especially as a teenager but in the end can save a life or lives.

As an 18-year-old male many of my friends including myself have been in accidents. I was on ice in my accident and could not use the brakes. I slid into a deep ditch but wasn’t going fast enough to have a ton of damage. Another times, one of my buddies was coming over to my house with two friends. He was driving and decided to not use the yield sign. As he crossed the road another car came from the crossroad and t boned him. He totaled his vehicle and had a girl fly through the windshield who was not wearing her seat belt. I would have to say we all learn our lessons at some point with driving.

Turning 16 sounds all good and all, but there are so many downs. Many people have lost family members or friends to new drivers being on their phone or not paying attention. Or in other cases many people have lost their children or other loved ones in wrecks due to drunk drivers or distracted drivers. Driving can be a difficult thing for people to handle. The main thing is to stay away from distractions.