In the Drivers Seat

Driver education is essential when it comes to reducing the number of road accidents. There is nothing more frightening than being on the road with a driver who either does not know the rules of the road fully or does not take them seriously.

Having a driver’s education helps people to be aware of their own actions and to be aware of the effects that they can have on other people while on the road. If someone attempts to drive without having the proper education first or supervision, then the likelihood of an accident resulting in death increases exponentially. Distracted driving is known to be the leading cause of accidents these days and it is downright frightening. It is essential that drivers understand that they are not just responsible for their own lives when they are in the driver’s seat. Yes, their own lives are going to be the most directly impacted by their driving but being distracted can impact the lives of other drivers, bikers, pedestrians, etc. Knowing that being distracted while driving can have a negative impact on their own lives should be more than enough to convince drivers that they should be careful. Drivers must be aware that not paying attention while driving can change someone’s life or even end it. Including their own.

This reality was one of the most frightening things for me when I first started driving but now that I have driven more, I find myself getting more relaxed about it. I must remind myself that even though driving is no longer new and frightening to me, I still need to pay as much attention as before because even though I am more comfortable driving now, the need to stay focused has not lessened. The moment when a driver’s responsibility became the most evident to me was when I had to drive on the highway with my younger siblings and parents in the car for the first time. Suddenly, it became very evident to me that if I made a mistake or became distracted even if it were only for a few seconds, the lives of all the people I loved most could be at risk.

There are far too many stories about people who only looked down at their phone for “second” and then got into an accident or they were eating while driving, or they were talking to their friends or so many other things. Though I have never been involved in a highway accident, I was involved in an accident a few years ago due to being careless though I was a biker and not a driver in that instance. I have been fortunate to have never been in an accident as the driver myself. But it was one of those unfortunate incidents that could have been avoided if both parties had been paying attention to their surroundings. It was lucky for both of us that there was no serious damage or injuries from the incident and that it was able to be wrapped up with an apology and we were both able to move on with our lives. Though the scrapes and bruises reminded me for weeks afterwards to pay attention on the road.

Incidents like these have taught me how important it is to pay attention to the road and how even a few seconds of distraction can have lasting effects on the lives of both the driver and other people. It may only be a few seconds that a driver is not paying attention to the road but so much can happen in that time that it can be a life-changing mistake. Checking a text or trying to eat while driving should not be something that could come at the cost of someone’s life.

I think a major thing that people can do to be safe drivers is to be aware of what their limitations and liabilities are and to take those into account when they drive. If everyone considered this when they drive, the likelihood of accidents on the road would decrease significantly. Especially when it comes to distracted driving. While I do not think that we need to use scare tactics to help people understand how important it is to pay attention on the road I do think that people need to understand what they are capable of when driving and there are far too many times that people do not take such things seriously until they are put in that situation themselves. The best that I think we can do is bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving while making sure that we are doing our best to follow the rules of the road ourselves.