Safety in the Driver’s Seat

The importance of being a safe and educated driver is a responsibility not only for the driver’s well being, but also for the safety and well being of other drivers and passengers on the road. Taking and understanding driver’s education and understanding the rules and the role you play as a driver is a big step towards bettering oneself as a driver and providing safe driving for everyone else around you.

Drivers education provides basic skills and training required by law to be able to perform safe driving on the road for the safety of the driver as well as others. A study conducted by the Office of University Communications, University of Nebraska–Lincoln found that driver’s education significantly reduces the number of crashes and traffic violations in teen drivers. Driver’s who have not completed it are, “75 percent more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident and 16 percent more likely to have an accident,” (UNL). Not only is driver’s education beneficial to assisting in passing your drivers test, but it also provides beneficial ways to handle the vehicle and proper defensive driving. It also teaches important skills and knowledge, such as dangerous actions that should not be partaken in, like driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, using electronics while driving, not wearing a seat belt, consuming food or liquids, or as a passenger, not being distracting to the driver. These skills are important as they reduce the likelihood of a crash, which ultimately reduces the number of deaths as a result of driving.

Important steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths resulting from driving starts with acknowledging the biggest culprit of unsafe driving behavior: speeding. An article stated that, “driving too fast is linked to the majority of all traffic accidents… About one-third of all traffic fatalities are caused, in part, due to driving too fast.” There’s a general unspoken expectation everyone feels to always need to be driving faster than the posted speed limit. A safe driver driving at the speed limit often results in tailgaters and irritated road rages. However, the posted speed limits are importantly set and placed for the necessary safety of the cars in the environment, and making the choice to drive faster than the proper speed limit puts your safety as well as others at risk. You can’t control other drivers but you can do your part by driving the safe posted speed limit. Another important step that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths is not being a distracted driver. NHTSA recorded 3,142 fatalities as a result of distracted driving in 2020. Nowadays, everyone is glued to a phone. But taking your eyes off the road even just for a second to answer that text and post that tweet can be the difference between life or death. Waiting a few more extra moments to be able to safely answer that text when you’re no longer driving makes a huge difference in the statistics towards the likelihood of a crash or fatality.

My dad has always told me there’s two types of drivers in the world. The drivers who have been in a car accident, and the drivers who haven’t but will be. Unfortunately, in only my first two years of driving, I have already been in a car accident. I was on my way to school when I arrived at a red light. I was sitting in the right hand turn lane with a single small white car in front of me. The light changed to green and all of a sudden the little white car started reversing. I panicked, undecided whether I should attempt to reverse, as there were no other cars behind me, or lay on the horn. Before I had a chance to respond, the little white car had slammed into the front of me. They quickly pulled into the left-hand turn lane and drove away. I was stunned and stuck in the right hand lane so I was unable to follow them. I instead pulled into the immediate nearest parking lot and called my dad. I was later informed the proper actions I should have taken would have been to stay sitting at the light and call the police. When I started the process of becoming a driver, I was unfortunately not able to take driver’s education due to COVID-19, and I strongly believe had I had the opportunity to take driving lessons, I would have known how to properly react to the situation, or even possibly to have entirely avoided it. My dad was able to find the license plate though and call it in. I was told later it was actually a new driver, a girl about the same age as me. Because both her and I had left the scene, it ended up being labeled a no fault accident.

My responsibility as a safe driver starts with me taking the proper steps and following the rules to ensure the safety of myself and others. As I mentioned before I was unable to take driver’s education due to COVID-19. All of my driving education came from my parents. Because I was never given the opportunity to receive the benefits of driver’s education, it’s important to me that I do everything I can to be the safest driver I can be, for the sake of others and myself. I can take important steps to prevent unsafe driving, starting with my phone. To prevent myself from using it or being tempted to look at it, I can silence it so I’m distracted by notifications and stow my phone away in the compartment or a bag. I can also make sure I have no other distractions, such as eating food or drinking while I’m driving, or making sure that when I have passengers in my car, they understand I need to be completely focused on the road, and not distracted by them while I’m driving. I can practice safe driving skills by ensuring I’m following the posted speed limits and staying the proper amount of distance between cars, as well as being completely aware of all my surroundings for the safety of pedestrians and bikers. When I get behind the wheel, the lives of others are in my hands, and it is my responsibility to do my part towards ensuring the safety of everyone on the road.

Sources:

• University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Web Developer Network. Study: Driver’s Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 13 Aug. 2015, newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver’s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets.

• Distracted Driving. NHTSA, www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving. Accessed 1 Nov. 2022.