Communication in Safe Driving

Earlier this year, I obtained a minor’s driver’s license, a symbol of government approval to use a vehicle. I was headed out of work, glad to make it out early and get some sleep, but I wasn’t paying attention. While I was turning on the heat, I was also slowly backing out of my spot. No active vehicles were in the area, but that didn’t save my friend’s car from a nasty scratch along the side of one of the passenger doors. The instant feeling I had was panic, and that made me realize something: we should all have just a little bit of panic when we are driving. This is a multi-ton machine capable of destruction we do not think about until it is on the news or in our lives.

Some of the tendencies I see in drivers, including my parents, concern me greatly. Nothing outright illegal, but certain actions that could be considered dangerous. I took driver’s education in the small town of Hayti, South Dakota, and the two main takeaways I had were “always use your blinker” and “give people space.” The number of people who do not use their blinkers is astonishing, yet that little yellow-orange light is the most effective way to communicate with your fellow drivers. I used to believe that turn signals were just for turning, but they also serve a great purpose in other situations. Showing drivers and pedestrians alike where you might be parking, merging, or generally going allows them to make informed decisions on what to do. To drive safely, information and control concerning the situation is key. Something my instructor told me was to always look 12 seconds ahead, and no matter how silly that sounds, the idea behind it is important. You should not focus on just the vehicle in front of you, but at least one or two in front of them as well. This allows you to know ahead of time when you may need to brake or are able to speed up. When you do need to brake, it is good practice to be conscious of anyone behind you. Simply activating the brake lights by very lightly holding down the brake pedal alerts drivers behind you that you may be or are slowing down. Drivers who tailgate, especially on the highway, are some of the most dangerous, but most of the danger comes to their own lives. As a recommendation, giving at least 3 seconds of space between vehicles allows two things to happen: the vehicle behind has more time to react and slow down in the case of a sudden stop and a space for vehicles to merge into is created.

In the past few weeks, I have had my first few doses of road rage. Most of it has stemmed from other high schoolers quickly going around me when I am already going the speed limit. Those actions saved them maybe 30 seconds of driving time, but they are not considering the possible risks. What if one of these days those 30 seconds cost them 40 years, 60 years, or even the rest of their lives? To take from the The Great Gatsby, Jordan Baker talks about her belief in the role of each driver in an accident, “They’ll keep out of my way,’ she insisted. ‘It takes two to make an accident.” (Fitzgerald 59). These teens believe that it is my and other safe driver’s job to keep them safe, but that is incorrect. The quote should be, “it takes two to stay safe.” Just one person not paying attention can result in an accident, as proven by my mistake at work. It would be hypocritical of me to simply spout problems without providing solutions.

As self-driving technology advances, the relationship between a vehicle and its GPS system becomes stronger. Some standard vehicles have built-in or preinstalled third-party GPS systems. Perhaps these increasingly digital machines could automatically turn on a blinker when a merge or turn is necessary. Driver’s Education could be made an educational requirement similar to how Brandon Valley requires Health to be taken at some point in a student’s high school tenure. If it were to extensively be funded as the main subjects are, then better training and teachers could be afforded. All of this comes down to a single driver, a single person. Millions upon millions of cars, trucks, and bikes travel the country, but their ability to flow like a river comes down to the ability of each individual driver. Driving has some of the most important personal communication of our lives, so its important that we do not stay silent.