How Can You Reduce the Risk?

Getting behind the wheel of any vehicle is a risk, but people can reduce the risk by becoming educated about driving laws and techniques to help people drive safer. Over tens of thousands of people in the United States die each year in vehicle-related accidents. In order to possibly reduce this number of fatalities, there needs to be a bigger emphasis on taking driver education throughout all states. Requiring all drivers to take an in-depth course in driver education can help the roads in our country be safer and less risky. By familiarizing safety habits and precautions with fellow drivers they will be more aware on the road. Also, knowing the risks and facts before getting a license will potentially make people more cautious while driving a vehicle. Overall, every driver should value the importance of a driver’s education in order to make the roads more secure.

A variety of steps can be taken to reduce the number of driving-related deaths: drive sober, drive the speed limit, and obey all road signs. One of the first steps to help reduce fatalities is driving without being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol and drugs are known for slowing your mental processes down in your brain which can impair your driving significantly. Being under the influence while driving is very dangerous to yourself and the people around you on the road. So instead of driving intoxicated, call a sober friend to pick you up or call an uber/taxi to take you to your intended destination. Another step in safety on the road is driving the posted speed limit. By driving the speed limit, people wouldn’t get speeding tickets and the road would be much safer. One of the last steps is obeying all road signs. This is very important to the safety of all drivers by stopping at stop signs, slowing down when the light turns yellow, and obeying all other posted signs while driving. All in all, if these simple steps can be followed by each individual driver then the roads will be a safer place.

Personally, I have experienced being in a car accident; however, I’m very lucky it wasn’t a fatal one. I was about ten years old at the time and I was sitting in the back seat of a truck along with my two younger sisters. We came to an abrupt stop since the driver in front of us was turning into a gas station. All of sudden, a loud noise sounded and our heads flew forward. We were rear-ended. Luckily, we were wearing our seatbelts and none of us were hurt. It’s so important that the road has all drivers’ full attention so they don’t accidentally hit another car and possibly put themselves or others at risk.

Although I haven’t driven irresponsibly before, I know many people who have or still drive recklessly. Many of my teenage peers who drink underage also drive under the influence which creates a high risk for others on the road at the time. The irresponsibility taken by these people could potentially cost others their own lives. Also, another personal experience of mine that happened at my school involved a group of friends who were messing around with the vehicle. There was one man in the driver’s seat and one man outside of the vehicle who kept jumping on the hood of the truck. In one of his attempts, he missed the hood of the truck and was run over by his friend. The man was rushed to the emergency room. Thankfully, he survived but had many broken bones in his body. People need to understand the dangers of a vehicle and respect the privilege of owning or driving a vehicle. Being careless with such a dangerous machine can cost one’s life so treat it with care.

There are many steps one can take to become a better and safer driver: check mirrors frequently, look both ways twice, and wear a seatbelt. The first step to becoming a safe driver is checking mirrors frequently. You can’t control reckless drivers on the road, but you can avoid possible accidents or risks by becoming aware of your surroundings. By simply glancing at the vehicle’s mirrors every ten seconds people become safer and smarter drivers. The next step is looking both ways, not once, but twice. Looking twice each way increases the safety of decision-making in one’s brain when driving across a street. The last step to precautionary driving is wearing a seatbelt. In case a person is involved in a car accident, he/she needs to make sure his/her own safety is secured by wearing a seatbelt. All of these steps are important to the personal safety of all drivers and should be followed at any time one is in a vehicle.

In conclusion, it’s very important that future and current drivers invest their time into driver education. In order to reduce fatalities on the road, drivers must drive responsibly to keep themselves and others around them safe. There are many steps to becoming smarter and safer drivers, but it’s up to the people to start giving their full attention to the road to make a change. Helping society become aware of the risks and facts about driving fatalities could potentially be a wake-up call for those irresponsible drivers. In short, becoming smarter and safer drivers will reduce the number of vehicle-related deaths in the United States.