The Importance of Driving Safely

Drive safe. Those two words are very important. The expression drive safe is used quite often as a term of endearment or a farewell. Most people don’t give it much thought and just reply, “I will”, or “I always do”. Once a person gets into their car and starts the engine, those two words have gone in one ear and out of the other. More than 38,000 deaths a year are caused by car accidents and, on top of that, millions of people in the United States are injured each year due to car accidents. Those are big numbers and could easily be reduced if people drove responsibly. It’s not that hard. Some people drive so recklessly and they are not only putting themselves in danger but they are putting everyone else on the road with them in danger. I personally think it is selfish when a person is driving irresponsibly because they are not the only person on the road. There are actual people in the cars next to them and each of them has a life and a family.

I think driver’s education is important. Everyone who has a driver’s license had to take behind-the-wheel and driver’s ed to obtain a driver’s license. What I have noticed is that most adults do not remember what they learned in these courses. If you think about it, you take these classes at such a young age it is not unlikely that you will forget a few things decades down the line. I think adults should be required to take a follow-up driver’s ed class every 10 years so they are reminded of the rules of the road. I live in Bluffton, South Carolina. The drivers in my area scare me. Everyone is always in such a hurry and there is always an accident somewhere. People just do not abide by the rules of the road and I think most of them need to go back to school and learn how to drive! To me, nothing could ruin your day more than getting into a car accident yet people still drive like they have nine lives. Many things can be done to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. The first is, getting a designated driver. Drunk driving is a dangerous behavior that has taken too many lives. People, unfortunately, get behind the wheel when they have alcohol in their system and nothing good ever happens from that. It is not hard to designate a driver or simply wait to drink when you get home.

The second thing that can reduce the number of deaths is by putting your phone down. What is more important, getting to your destination safely, or replying to a text message? Some states have made it illegal to use a handheld phone while operating a vehicle. Just because not all states have made it illegal, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to use a phone while driving in any state. The third thing that can help reduce the number of deaths is speed. We have speed limits for a reason. The sign isn’t there to look pretty and be ignored. It’s there because there is an intended speed limit for each road that deems it safe. Going over the speed limit puts others at risk and gives the driver less time to react in case of an accident. Speeding at night time is also very dangerous. When it is dark outside it is harder for any driver to see than it would be during the daytime. Animals, such as deer, come out at night and cause many accidents because people are driving too fast and are not paying attention to their surroundings. It’s simple, drive the speed limit and be aware of your surroundings all of the time but especially at night time.

The fourth thing that can help reduce the number of deaths is by having all of the passengers wear their seatbelts. I think this rule is one of the most important ones. It takes two seconds to buckle a seat belt. It also takes two seconds for someone to be ejected from a car in an accident if their seat belt was not on. Wearing your seat belt will not prevent an accident but it will protect you if in one. The last thing that can help reduce the number of deaths related to car accidents is not being in a hurry. Never think that getting to a meeting or an event on time is worth risking your life and the lives of others. Always assess the road conditions and drive at a speed that you are comfortable with but within the speed limit guidelines. With all of those being said, everyone who is behind the wheel needs to take these precautions. None of them are hard to follow. I personally have never been in a car accident before. I drive responsibly but I have definitely ridden with people who do not drive how they are supposed to. Following the simple rules of the road and not driving like a maniac should not be difficult but yet there are millions of car accidents in the United States each year. If people were to drive safely many lives could be preserved and our world would be in a much better place.