It Can Wait

I often get stuck in traffic due to a car accident. Every morning while I’m getting ready for work, I often see in the news of car crashes that happened throughout the night into the early morning; it saddens me to see when there was a fatal crash due to speeding or alcohol. Seeing the ambulance drive by at full speed always makes me wonder if it is another car accident.

Educating ourselves on becoming safe drivers is extremely important as individuals and as a community. A driver education course can help improve driving skills in several ways. The program will go through the basics of driving rules. It will emphasize the importance of safe driving and often provide scenarios on what to do and not do in certain circumstances. Ultimately the course will help improve knowledge on safe driving and proper techniques to become a more responsible driver that will reduce the number of car accidents and deaths.

Consequently, completing these courses, insurance companies will often provide a discount.

Several factors often result in car accidents and deaths. The most common is speeding. I often see a lot of drivers switching lanes way too fast and even cutting other cars off, making the other car swerve off not to get hit. Also, some drivers do not even put on signal lights. We live in a society where everyone must do everything fast. If we can slow down and be considerate of others on the road and leave 15 minutes earlier than usual, the percentage of car crashes will decrease drastically. The second factor that leads to car accidents is driving while under the influence of a substance that will impair judgment. Whether it’s alcohol, illegal drugs, or opioids, anyone who gets behind the wheel is responsible for their safety and the safety of others. There is no excuse to drive under the influence; there are a lot of resources that someone can do other than drive while under the influence. There is plenty of public transportation throughout the city that someone can get assistance to get them to their final destination. Uber and Lyft are the most common forms of transportation people can benefit from when consuming alcohol—lastly, texting while driving is highly increasing to be a big problem. I often see a lot of drivers on their phones, either talking or texting while driving. Picking up my kids from school while waiting in line, drivers texting while their car is moving slowly. That unsafe driving is dangerous when there are children around. Even a tiny bump to a child can cause severe damage, even fatal. There are other resources available to us than looking at our phones. Most cars and phones have the “hands-free” option. Siri can read the incoming texts for you. A safe drive option on most phones will disable incoming texts and will forward a text telling the contact to know you are on the road.

I have been in a car accident that left my car inoperable. While I was driving, passing a green light, a vehicle on the opposite side ran the red light and hit me straight on the side of my car, which led it to spin around a couple of times till it hit a light pole on the opposite side of the road. Everything happened so fast; I didn’t know if I was hurt or not. Graciously I only suffered minor injuries. However, my car was completely inoperable. Getting hit by a car is the worse feeling I have ever experienced. Since my car accident, I have become more cautious of my surroundings while driving. I have been at fault for glancing at my phone when it dings, but now I have enabled the “ do not disturb” option, and I encourage others to do the same thing.

Driving is not just about getting into a car and your destination of choice. We must change our culture on what it means to get behind the wheel and drive a car. Taking a driving course can help improve our driving skills.

We must take driving seriously; It Is essential to have a plan on where we are going, how long it will take us to get there, and if it is a social gathering and alcohol is involved, take responsible measures on how to get home safe. So, the next time you decide to get in your car, take a few minutes and think, “It can wait.”