Behind the Wheel

When I first started driving, about a year ago, I was scared out of my mind. I had severe driving anxiety and couldn’t so much as hold a conversation or listen to music while behind the wheel. While I still suffer from it occasionally, it has lessened tremendously. I now realize how easy it is to get too comfortable behind the wheel. Don’t get me wrong, you want to be comfortable while driving and confident in your skills, but you have to make sure you’re staying alert and focused on the road at all times. I have seen countless drivers talking on the phone, listening to loud music, eating, drinking, and engaging in other activities that can be a distraction from the road.

In my opinion, driver education is significantly important in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving. Driver education allows students to gain an immense amount of knowledge on becoming confident and competent drivers. A lot of drivers don’t know all of the rules on the road or choose not to follow them. These courses help drivers not only learn hands-on skills but also provide them with classroom training to teach them the rules of the road before they even get behind the wheel. In driver education, you also get the opportunity to be corrected on your mistakes by a trained instructor. The more experience and knowledge a person has about driving, the less likely they are to get into a car accident.

There are many steps that we can take as drivers to reduce the amount of deaths caused by driving. I think the first step would be to limit the number of distractions on the road by avoiding multitasking while driving, staying off of the phone until you reach your destination, and staying focused on the road. Another step that I think would minimize accidents is to pull over if you are feeling signs of fatigue because a lot of car crashes are caused by falling asleep behind the wheel due to exhaustion. I also feel like a lot of people don’t talk about the importance of learning how to drive defensively. Defensive driving is expecting the unexpected and being able to react quickly in critical situations while driving. You have to be able to adapt to different circumstances and conditions when necessary. It is also crucial to pay attention to all of the signs and traffic lights displayed on the road for our safety.

I have experienced a car accident once in my life. Unfortunately, another driver hit the back of my mother’s car at a red light. The accident was the result of not being alert and tailgating another person’s car. You have to leave a safe distance from the car in front of you to give yourself enough time to react if the person comes to a sudden stop. Luckily, the accident didn’t lead to any injuries from either party, but it certainly could have gone a whole lot worse. It is crucial to drive safely because it can ultimately cost you your life or the life of another person. You could be taking someone’s loved one away from them by driving irresponsibly. Life is precious and when you get behind the wheel your life and the lives of others are in your hands.

So many steps can be taken to become a better and safer driver and help others become safer on the road. We can start by taking driver education courses and reading our state’s driver’s manual if we are unsure about any rules on the road. Also, we should try not to be too proud when it comes to taking constructive criticism from others about our driving and ways to improve and drive safer. Take the feedback and think of ways you can enhance your driving. Making sure that you and the passengers are wearing seatbelts at all times will also make for a safer journey. If you do happen to get into a car accident, it can save your life or lessen your injuries. You should also avoid things that could impair your judgment such as drugs, alcohol, or medications before driving. If you have been prescribed glasses or eye contacts, make sure that you are wearing them every time you drive. If you don’t intend to drive responsibly, it is best that you not drive at all because of the amount of lives at stake. So many lives have been lost as a result of incompetence behind the wheel.