Drivers Ed – In the Driver’s Seat

I have heard it said that one never goes through their life without being in a vehicular accident. As a new driver, that statement can be scary. Many people forget about the responsibility that comes with the privilege of driving. I was blessed to have grown up with parents who emphasized the importance of safety. Driver’s education taught me much about navigating the road safely and helped me pass the permit test on the first try. I constantly use the knowledge I gained to make critical decisions when driving. Many people, including myself, have gained a sense of responsibility due to learning about different moving violations and who is at fault in certain situations. This fact is not surprising considering driver’s education reduces auto accidents by 4.6%. 

Reducing crashes involves taking every opportunity to educate people about safe driving. Parents need to educate their children on the dangers of the road and be good examples of safe drivers. There should be units about the laws of the road and the severity of misuse in every health class. Teachers could emphasize the dangers of driving under the influence during the substance abuse unit. Driver’s education is a crash course on everything you need to know to be a safe driver. Therefore, making it mandatory in every state would be beneficial. I agree with those who say we should retest every few years because, over time, our driving skills deteriorate. Personally, I believe that the laws of the road should be enforced more harshly. For example, someone who has had a violation that would have caused an accident should have a harder time getting their license renewed and should be watched for a period of time for future infractions.

Recently I was involved in an accident stemming from a hit and run. I was a passenger in a car, and we were heading home. In front of us was an old minivan. Unbeknownst to me, the minivan had rear-ended the car in front of it. Since we were at a red light, the minivan backed up and hit us to get out, and sped down the road. The other car and the car I were in followed the minivan. The driver of my car saw how erratically the van was driving and slowed; the other car continued to pursue. Finally, the minivan swerved across three lanes and was hit by an oncoming 2021 truck before continuing into a light post. The truck and minivan sat totaled. Ironically, the crash occurred at the entrance of the local police precinct. After an ambulance picked up an injured person from the 2021 truck, we discovered that the minivan driver had marijuana in the car, no auto insurance, and was not the car owner. It is an exciting story to retell until I think about all the damage one man driving under the influence can cause. While running from his consequences, he caused damage to property and injury to innocent people who were just trying to go home.

To reduce the possibility of my involvement in a crash, I try to take extreme caution and focus on the road. One step I will take is to accept the consequences of running late and not make speeding the solution. I remind myself not to let other drivers’ decisions affect the way I drive. I will continue to not use my cellphone in the car. A prominent distraction for me is passengers, so I am careful about who I drive with. As a new driver, I tend to forget to check my mirrors; this has caused several close calls, and, as a result, I am working to improve this. I have been taking control of my mind to stay focused on the road because of my tendency to daydream. Whenever I get the urge to relax about the rules of the road, I remind myself of the possible consequences and the importance of paying attention and being a safe driver.

In conclusion, there are many causes of accidents, but they can be avoidable. By simply taking account of myself and doing the right thing on the road, I can decrease the chances of vehicular accidents. Instilling road safety into education and dinner table conversation teaches children, from an early age, the importance of being accountable on the road. Children mimic what they see, not what they hear, so parents setting the example of safe driving will make a world of difference. Driving under the influence is one of the most common causes of auto accidents. By enforcing harsher punishments for these driving violations, we may be able to decrease the rate of occurrences. In the end, the biggest factor in stopping auto accidents is ourselves and whether we will choose to do the right thing as responsible drivers.