Every Second Matters

I took a Drivers Education course my sophomore year of high school. I think that it is a good tool in helping new drivers keep our roads safer. The teacher that I had told us about the real consequences that come from driving irresponsibly, he showed us how any kind of crash big or small affects a person and their families in ways that you would never want to imagine. There were some stories that were heartbreaking, like parents losing their child as a result of someone else’s irresponsible driving, or someone losing their sister because they crashed and she wasn’t buckled. But those situations are the reality of what could happen if you aren’t careful on the roads.

Having those stories shared with me, and me being such a new driver made me realize that when you’re behind the wheel you have so much power and it can take one second of irresponsible driving and it could affect so many people’s lives for the worse. Having that course definitely made me a little scared to drive because I had learned how potentially dangerous driving can be, but my parents used to always tell me that “if you are scared you are more careful.” That class really made me want to put in a lot of effort into not contributing to the amount of crashes that happen on the roads every year. It made me want to be more cautious so that I can protect myself and those driving around me and showing drivers the reality of what happens on the roads every year can decrease the amount of deaths that happen because of driving irresponsibly.

The first step that I think needs to be taken in order to attempt to lower the amount of deaths that happen while driving is to really ensure that all drivers know the rules of the road. People need to be taught the basics first before anything else, like how to be courteous to others while you are driving or recognize what specific road signs mean so that you can follow them correctly and also how to obey the speed limit so that people are driving a safe speed for that road. People also need to learn what is against the law while driving like we really need to push that people should not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol because driving under the influence is what causes a lot of irresponsible driving and therefore causes crashes. I think that another step that can be taken to reduce deaths on roads is to have people tell their stories of how the deaths of their loved ones dying while on the road has affected them. Oftentimes using emotional and personal stories can get people to listen more intently. When peoples experiences pull at your heartstrings you tend to remember them a little more because that story had an emotional impact on you.

I’ve been in a car crash before and it was one of the scariest things that has ever happened to me. I was in the middle of an intersection waiting to turn left and the light turned yellow and the car that was in the oncoming traffic appeared to be slowing down so I drove across the lanes to clear the intersection so that I wasn’t stuck in the middle when the light turned red, then I was hit on the passenger side. Both my car and the other car were totaled and I was all scraped up but the people in the other car were unharmed. Because I had not been more observant and careful and I didn’t wait a little longer to cross the lanes I caused an accident that could have been prevented.

Since that crash I have made sure that when I’m driving I take my time to check that all the lanes are clear especially before I am turning left onto oncoming traffic. I learned after that incident that I shouldn’t let other drivers influence when I should go or not. That was part of the problem when I got in that crash, I was so worried about clearing the intersection for other people that I didn’t focus on how much I could get hurt if I went. If I don’t feel confident that I can go without causing an accident I wait for as long as I need to. So now while I’m driving I try my best to be more aware of the cars around me and more courteous because if I allow those driving around me more time or more space then I can help prevent more accidents and potentially deaths from happening, being more courteous and kind on the roads I think can make a huge difference.

Be safe and responsible on the roads because every second can make a difference.