Making the road a safer place

The car is one of humanity’s greatest technological advancements with its ability to get people or objects to or from one destination to another in a timely manner. With all great achievements, there are just as many pros as there are cons. As I think about the cons, the main concern that comes to mind are the inconsistent safety measures established for these vehicles. While there are signs clearly in place to assist drivers, as well as laws to help keep both drivers and pedestrians stay safe, some people don’t adhere to the laws due to a lack of understanding and some simply disregard the laws.

If they really understood that humans aren’t built to withstand a great amount of force, they might make different choices. If only they could imagine the type of injuries sustained when the human body comes in contact with 4,000 – 5,000 pounds of metal, they might make better decisions. The simple facts are that anything that comes at a human body at high speeds will cause the kind of injuries to the person that can be life long or even fatal. That’s where the importance of driver education comes in. Understanding how signs work, how the roads are set up, and just the common sense basics that are instilled into every driver minimizes the potential chance of a crash. The first step of driver’s education is simply to become more educated. By studying driver’s manuals, paying attention to common driving habits, and making sure the people around you are also driving safely, will greatly reduce the risk of them and others getting into an accident.

Luckily I’m blessed to have avoided any accidents since receiving my learner’s permit but I have siblings and friends who aren’t so lucky. When I think of the harm that could have come to me or those I love while in my car, I think it comes down to how much I pride myself on being up to date on driver’s intelligence mostly pulled from all of the Driver’s Education classes I’ve taken. There have been times where I was scared of the possibility of an accident but successfully avoided it by relying on all I’ve learned. As I think about my brother, who got into an accident at 18, the age I am now, it wasn’t that he was an uneducated driver but he allowed distractions like being on his phone or the fun of driving at high speeds distract him.

There are many occurrences like this where well educated drivers do things they aren’t supposed to do. So even though driver’s education is more accessible now on our cell phones, safety largely falls to the intelligence of the driver and whether or not they are taking unnecessary risks. In order to make things safer for everyone, these safety rules should be highly enforced by the law. Enforcement shouldn’t be simply to punish drivers, but to make driving safer. To add to that, real life experiences need to be a key factor in someone learning to drive. New drivers should practice on roads unfamiliar to them, driving in situations that may seem uncomfortable, and just testing them in what they would do hypothetical realistic situations. Driving can be one of the most dangerous things for the average person. Taking more time to alr sure new drivers are doing it safely won’t hurt but can only help.

With that it’s not only the drivers education that needs to be up to date, it’s also knowledge of their own vehicles. Knowing how their car works, the specifics about its speed, handling and acceleration for starters. All these things could be another way for new drivers to be more aware of their surroundings.

Being aware of your vehicle’s characteristics and the knowledge of being a good driver is also the factor of knowing where you are driving. It’s hard to drive in new areas but when you do take note of how the road is, what the surrounding area is like and how the cars around you are driving. If you are driving on roads you are used to, then you are responsible for knowing where you are and knowing who and what is around you.

Being an educated driver can save your own and other people’s lives. It’s crucial people take it serious not only when first becoming a driver but when you are already an experienced driver as well. No matter how good we are, there is always room for improvement. It is important that once the driver feels confident enough, they should teach others the importance of driver education to make it a better and safer place. The more educated drivers there are, the more naccidents and injuries can be prevented on the road.