Safe Driving

Driver education is extremely important because it prevents deaths and educates safety. When you take a driving education class you get to learn about safe practices and extra precautions you can take to protect yourself and your passengers. You learn important practices like how to drive in dangerous weather conditions and how to maintain your own safety. You also learn information about your car and how to safely operate the vehicle. Taking a driver’s education course can help prevent death but there are also other steps that can be taken. Being fully attentive to the road and your surroundings can help you prevent dangerous driving. Buckling your seatbelt and making sure your passengers have their seatbelts buckled can prevent death and injuries in the occurrence of a crash. Keeping your eyes on the road and keeping your phone down and away will help you pay attention to the changing conditions of your surroundings. Following traffic laws and road signs can help you prevent a crash. Driving sober and fully awake can help prevent deadly crashes. Not all crashes can be deadly but they can cause severe injury. My family and I experienced a severe car crash in the summer of 2021. We were hit head-on by a distracted driver. My family and the driver who hit us were transported to a hospital and treated for our injuries. The distracted driver was unresponsive at the scene. Some of the injuries my family and I sustained were broken bones and different tears in our muscles and tendons. Some of us are still recovering from our injuries and we still have such mixed emotions on the whole matter. The accident did more than just impact our physical health. The accident impacted our mental health and it took a massive toll on my family’s finances. I can not speak about how my family felt about the accident but I know that for me it was probably the worst thing I have ever experienced in my entire life. The accident has impacted my life in extreme ways and I have also learned so much since it took place. I am a much safer person and driver. I am way more cautious than I previously was. I have taken steps and I continue to take steps to become a better and safer driver. Some of the steps I took were to make sure I paid attention to the road at all times. I started to really watch my speed and pay attention to the signs around me. I always like to check road conditions before I leave my house and If I am going to a new place I like to review road directions before I leave. I also like to do a quick check on my car to make sure my headlights and turn signals are working. I also check to see if my windshield wipers are doing their job properly. During the winter months, I like to have the frost and snow completely cleared off of my entire vehicle before hitting the road. I check to see if my tires are in good condition and I check the tire pressure. When I have passengers in the car I make sure that we buckle our seatbelts and I keep the noise level at a minimum. I always put my phone away in a safe place before driving away. So in the case of a wreck, I am able to find my phone easily and make an emergency call if I need to. I also don’t eat or drink while operating a vehicle and I try to convince my passengers to do the same thing. When I am a passenger in a car I make sure to have my seat belt buckled. I try to keep quiet and I always offer to send a text or turn on a song for the driver. The number one way to stay safe on the road is to be attentive to your surroundings. If you need to make a text or call then pull over. If you get lost or confused then pull over and look up directions and gather the information before taking off again. If you are driving in a new area then be extra cautious and look out for pedestrians and other vehicles. If you are feeling tired it is ok to rest before starting your drive again. Always wear your seatbelt and make it a habit to inform your passengers to buckle up. Do not drive if you are not 100 percent sober and do not put someone else’s life at risk by driving under the influence.