Rules of the Road

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town. This nursery rhyme was the talk of the town when I was a child. It influenced my love for driving. Driving meant freedom. Freedom to go anywhere and do anything at a moment’s notice. Freedom to explore and expand my horizons. This newly found freedom of course came with some cautionary tales. The first time I got into a car my dad took me for a trip around the block. That trip ended with the front end of my dad’s car jumping a curb and kissing a tree. I bruised my arm in that accident. However, that didn’t stop me. It only further fueled my twitch to get on the road and burn some rubber. My parent’s blood pressure couldn’t handle taking me out on the road anymore, so they enrolled me in driving school. Driving school is the place where my relationship with driving in terms of respect and safety matured. In driving school I learned that to fully embrace and enjoy the experience I would have to learn the way of the road.

Keep your hands at ten and two. Keep your eyes on the road. Watch out for pedestrians. Don’t text and drive. Wear your seatbelt, safety first. These are some mottos that I have grown accustomed to hearing and abiding by when driving on the road. Driving has always been something I have aspired to do. The pandemic mostly pushed me to go get my drivers license. It taught me to never take life for granted and to remember that time is precious.

Always keep your head on a swivel when on the road. Defensive driving is what will save your life on the road. Defensive driving reduces the risk of crashing by allowing the driver to stay alert, prepared, and in control. Defensive driving is the best way to combat aggressive driving behavior. Angry drivers never respond with more anger. Always look for the best way to safely exit the situation because at the end of the day that gets you out of a hostile situation and creates a safer driving environment.

It was a nice sunny day. My mom and I decided to get out of the house and do something.I was in the car with my mom that day. It was a regular day. It was a Sunday. We were on our way to do our regular shopping errands for the house. We were just coming from the mall. It was around four or five in the afternoon. My mom decided to take the scenic route on the bridge. There was crazy traffic on the bridge. The GPS said it would get us home faster. We were on the bridge for about 20 minutes just sitting. Once we approached the end of the bridge, a car came from behind my moms car, and drove her off the road. They did this so that they could get off the bridge. Luckily my mom saw the car coming in her rear view mirror. My mom noticed that the car was coming at such an alarming rate that she moved her car to the side just in time so that she did not collide with the other cars that were driving. While my mom moved her car to the side of the car that drove her off the road she had to literally swing the car. Everything happened so fast. My mom only has a split second to figure out what to do. My mom saved my life. She is my hero. From that moment on I have always kept my head on a swivel and been a defensive driver.

Driver education is important to become a safe and defensive driver. People who have not completed driver’s education are more likely to cause an accident and or be in an accident. They are more likely to get speeding tickets or hit a pedestrian. Driver education can reduce the number of deaths, which in hindsight will create a safer environment for drivers and pedestrians. Way to do this is making drivers education the standard at a young age. Instilling driver education in the minds of young teens in their adolescent years will allow their brains to mature with the mindset of being a responsible and safe driver.

Driving is a privilege. I will never take that privilege for granted. I will follow the rules of the road. Safety is the best policy to an extraordinary. I will always be a responsible, safe, and defensive driver.