Safe Travels

At one point or another nearly everyone has had the desire to drive for the very first time. Maybe you just watched your first Fast and Furious movie and are eager to get behind the wheel and tear up the highway. No matter when or where it happens, the thought of getting behind the wheel for the first time is one of the coolest things to look forward to and for most, is a milestone to adulthood. At a young age many of us, including myself, are heavily influenced by what we see on TV and, now more than ever, the internet. When you watch an action movie or watch a YouTube video and see a fleet of fast, flashy cars with loud engines it’s easy to overlook the risks involved with them. Driving is the pinnacle of the phrase “with great power comes great responsibility”.

On a day-to-day basis nearly, everyone is on the road at one point or another. Whether you’re a driver yourself, a cyclist sharing the road, or even just a pedestrian crossing the street you’re going to end up on the road one way or another. When the topic of driver safety is brought up it is important to understand this, as driver safety not only refers to those behind the wheel, but everyone. This is the biggest reason driver education is so important, so you effectively learn how to keep everyone, including yourself, safe on the road. The best way to ensure you are being safe on the road is to learn how to drive the right way by taking a driver’s education class through your local DMV. Here you will not only be taught how to drive, but you will be informed on all the risks involved with driving and more importantly how to avoid them.

In America tens of thousands of people lose their lives annually due to unsafe driving practices. Just last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 31,785 people died last year due to car crashes and this was only in the first nine months. The year before that 31,850 died during the same window of time. Many people feel as though they are great drivers because they’ve never been involved in a crash or maybe they’ve never even gotten a ticket before. So, this leads them to become careless on the road because, even subconsciously, everyone believes “it won’t happen to me”. Then one day they’re on their way to work, they look down to answer a text message and it’s already happened just that fast. Most of the time it’s the little things that people shrug off that have the biggest impact when it comes to safety; buckle your seatbelt, don’t text and drive, follow the speed limit. All these things are very serious and extremely avoidable.

Being a responsible driver happens before you even hit the road. Before you get in your car check to see if your tires are running flat, is there some random liquid leaking out from under your car. When you get in, lock the doors and put your seatbelt on. When you turn your car on does the whole dashboard light up telling you to check your engine and change your oil. Simple things that can be done on the spot in only a couple of seconds can make all the difference. You can even take things a step further, before you get in your car with your phone on do not disturb so you don’t get calls and texts while you’re driving so, you’re not tempted to look away from the road. If you’re unexpectedly running late, call ahead and inform the appropriate people ahead of time rather than trying to make up lost time by pushing it an extra 10 mph on the highway. All these examples are very easy and very real things you can do to ensure you’re being safe on the road.

Like many things, it can be very easy to list all the things we should be doing on the road, but sometimes things can accidentally slip our minds. For some people it may be remembering to fasten their seatbelt, for others it could be responding to texts, for me it’s following the speed limit. Personally, my biggest struggle with driving is making sure I’m constantly following the speed limit. I have a heavy foot and if I’m not actively making sure I’m within the limit it’s very easy me to hold down on the accelerator and up ten mph over the limit in a matter of seconds. Some things I’ve tried to work on by checking my speedometer every so often, not to the point where I’m always watching it but enough so I can tell whether I’m good or to let off a little. Additionally, I’ll reposition my foot to make it more comfortable when I do find the appropriate pressure to put on the accelerator. That way I am less tempted to let my foot rest down on the pedal. Practicing driver safety isn’t something you should practice occasionally but rather constantly to ensure everyone makes it home.

Although driver safety may not be the flashiest part about driving, it is by far the most important. The scariest part about traffic incidents is that it only takes one person to make a mistake and multiple people can be affected. This is why it is so important to be safe on the road to limit the amount of traffic deaths as much as possible because with so many people on the road daily, it can be easy for an accident to happen. Make sure when you get behind the wheel you are being safe and being mindful of you and others.