Driving Hazards and How to Increase Road Safety

About three years ago over three-thousand people lost their lives to distracted driving, and the number only increased the following year. Driving a motorized vehicle at any speed is dangerous. Distracted while operating a motorized vehicle doubles the chances of crashing, putting the driver and anyone near in danger. Driving can be dangerous; we will discuss the hazards involved in driving and how you can increase your safety while on the road.

Although everyday navigations typically go smooth, the near death and close encounter instances are undeniable and must be recognized as learning opportunities. The latest close encounter I recall experiencing dates back to the summer of 2018 when my cousin and I were driving on the two-way backroads of Umatilla, Oregon. The beginning of the road is 35 miles per hour and towards the middle, where this occurred, the speed limit increases to 55. We were cruising listening to music when we noticed a red Ford pickup truck just a little up the road. Blasting music and having a good time, we ignored the truck. Our good time was interrupted, my cousin steered the wheel to right swerving around the red pickup, only feet away from the Umatilla River. It wasn’t until he nearly missed us, that I noticed he was taking a sip out of a can as he passed us. We drove silent the rest of the way, however, the experience taught us that we must be wary on the road. Whether the driver was intoxicated or not, the moment he took his eyes off the road to drink could’ve been our last. The main lesson I learned was that in an instant anything can become a threat, especially on the road.

It should be noted that the event mentioned takes place in Oregon where drivers education is not required, drivers’ education provides crucial information to ensure road safety. How does drivers’ education ensure road safety? During my driver’s education course, I was required to drive with an instructor who recognized my dangerous behaviors and helped me develop habits to increase my road safety. One of the first mistakes I made was removing a hand off the steering wheel, my instructor reminded me that while driving we should not be distracted so it was never necessary to remove a hand from the wheel. Both hands on the wheel is a habit that provides better control over the vehicle and maintains focus on the road. Drivers’ education also teaches students how to handle unique situations. For example, during my driver’s education course we were taught to drive fifteen miles under the speed limit in harsh weather conditions. Another example that is rare yet very dangerous is issues with your vehicle’s mechanics, in drivers’ education they showed various situations and how to deal with them. Drivers’ education provides road safety tips and good habits, it is one of the many steps taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving.

Although drivers’ education teaches you road safety, there are extra steps drivers can take to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. The first habit drivers can take to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is to double check for seatbelts before taking off. Putting and a removing a seatbelt is simple, so simple that passengers may forget to buckle up. Taking a few extra seconds to make sure all seatbelts are on will be crucial incase of an accident. Another step drivers may take to improve their road safety is vehicle maintenance checks. Whilst faulty vehicle accidents are uncommon, drivers should make routinely maintenance checks to make sure that all breaks engage and that their vehicle is safe to drive. Routinely maintenance checks can indicate potential risks before driving. All though I include seatbelt and maintenance checks in my checklist, I too can take extra steps to be a better and safer driver.

Indeed, as a driver I too can take extra precautionary steps for = my safety and the safety of others on the road. The first step I can take is reducing the music volume. By reducing the music volume, the situational awareness of everyone in the car increases. Increased situational awareness can be crucial when spotting dangerous oncoming traffic. Another step I can take to ensure my safety is limiting driving hours during reduced visibility times. According to Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities by Day and Night- A Contrast, by authors Cherian Varghese and Umesh Shankar, “Nationwide almost half (49%) of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities occur during nighttime. This, coupled with the fact that approximately 25 percent of travel occurs during hours of darkness (1).” Despite only making up a quarter of the total travel, nighttime driving accounts for almost half of the passenger vehicle occupant fatalities. Why? According to the same text, “Data indicates that among other things, lower seat belt use and higher alcohol involvement seem to be two major contributors to the disproportionate nighttime risk ( Shanker, Varghese 4).” To increase the risks of reduced visibility, seatbelt use is low and alcohol use is high. Let’s reduce our night time driving!

In general, by practicing good road habits you increase your safety and those around you. Think about the safety of other drivers when operating a vehicle, you never know who’s in the car. I hope you recognize the hazards involved in driving and utilize this advice to increase your road safety.

Shankar U. Varghese C. Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities by Day and Night- A Contrast. NHTSA. www.nhtsa.gov. May 2007. P1-5.