In the driver’s seat

It is extremely important to take driving education because it helps us understand the importance of how truly dangerous driving is. It teaches us the importance of keeping both hands on the wheel to avoid getting distracted from the road.

Ever since they came out with these smart phones it has been quite common to see people on their phones while they are driving. Laws have been implemented for this to be avoided unfortunately, we all know that not everyone follows the rules. You can put the phone in the glove compartment to keep yourself from picking it up while driving. To make sure you are not tempted to reach for the glove compartment make sure that all your affairs are taken care of before you begin driving. Some of us have remarkably busy lives making it hard to have all our affairs in order before we get into the car so taking more time out of our day to give ourselves enough time to get things done is another way to keep us from reaching for that phone.

Phones are not the only distractions; kids may be misbehaving and the best thing we can do is keep calm and find a safe place to pull over and talk to the children to solve the issue.

Pet owners can also be easily distracted by their pets while driving. One of the best things to do is to make sure your pets are secured by either a cage and/or a seat belt.

There are a lot of people that drink and drive, it is the most irresponsible thing a person can do. One needs to plan when drinking, for example taking an uber.

Procrastinating when you have somewhere to be is also dangerous because we put not only ourselves in danger but also everyone on the road on our way to our commute for the day. Giving ourselves more time to get somewhere can help us be better drivers with little effort.

Deer crossings are one of the most important signs to me due to an experience I had when I first began driving.

When I first started driving, I was in an accident. I had just left the house and was on my way to work, I was having a wonderful day, it was payday and I was listening to music. The road that I lived on was curvy and I was enjoying the music when a deer crossed the road causing me to spin off the road and into the woods. I remember blacking out for a little bit and when I woke up, I was terrified. I did not know what to do, I tried to get out of the car but my door had been smashed in by a tree. I crawled out of the car through the passenger side. Luckly my work uniform was a red shirt and black pants so when I got out someone driving by seen me and stopped to help. I called my mom and told her where I was so she could come help. I feel I could have paid better attention to the road and even though deer crossings are not easy to avoid, I could have driven slower to help avoid the accident.

We tend to get complacent when it comes to driving, I have seen plenty of people doing unsafe driving, like eating and driving or putting on make-up while driving. It can be easy to forget how dangerous driving is, especially if the weather is not on our side. We should take a lot of caution when it comes to rainy or snowy days which can increase the dangers of driving when we are not careful. Some roads have not been updated with drains to make it less likely for your car to hydroplane.

What I can do to be a better driver is to drive slower. I tend to be so busy and constantly on the move that I carry that with me when I drive causing me to feel the need to rush everywhere when I actually have time to get where I need to get in time. It is especially hard when everyone else is driving faster. I would also encourage anyone I ride with to be safe as well by helping with directions so that they do not have to take their hands off the steering wheel or the road. I would help them by planning to leave early so that there is no need to rush.