The anxiety of the road

Driving can be terrifying. Millions of deaths occur each year with many occurring because of drunk driving or distracted drivers. Learning about the dangers of distracted or drunk driving and safe driving, in general, can ultimately lower the chances of people dying each year, with these teachings we can note that driving isn’t always the safest option. Steps that can be taken to avoid these constant deaths due to accidents are taking the train or having a friend or trusted adult accompany you to make sure everyone is safe, with the way technology has also progressed, uber or lift are very reliable options for people intoxicated. Intoxicated or irresponsible driving is prevalent and widespread in this day and age with even the trusted adults in your life being able to drive irresponsibly. Irresponsible driving also dangers the people who are in the car with you, if there is any, without an accident even happening, there can be a mental strain on the passenger for simply being in the car with the driver. I have witnessed many irresponsible drivers and had anxiety with certain drivers such as my father, while he turns he will frequently change lanes with no turn signal on, which is very unsafe due to the fact other cars might be in the other lane and are more at risk of getting into an accident, which has almost happened many times while driving with my dad. Distracted driving is also very prevalent in my family with both my mother and father having phone stands near the wheel and many times it not being open to a GPS or map of any kind, making me and my whole family more susceptible to an accident, with my father even playing mobile games while driving, giving everyone in the car anxiety. While being 17, I still have yet to get my own license due to practices being difficult and very stressful, knowing there is a perfect way of driving but not being able to attain that level of proficiency, making me more likely to get into an accident as well. One time, I was going to turn and a car came speeding even though I had already looked both ways and had my turn signal on leading to a lot of anxiety and confusion because I was not the irresponsible driver but the other person was. Driving can also be very boring for me. While it may just be my attention span or because I have seen the same destinations so many times it gets repetitive. To help with this, using other modes of transportation has made me interested in my neighborhood again and has made me want to explore new areas with a trusted adult. Many times you will do everything right and people will still be hurt “NHTSA data states that roughly, nine people are killed and more than 1,000 injured daily in accidents in which at least one driver was distracted” ( the zebra, 2023). I have done every class I can and practiced many times but accidents will happen and understanding why they happen and how to avoid them is a great way to build a skill in responsible driving. Being educated on how and why accidents happen is a simple but effective step into being a better but also safer driver. Being a safer driver also implies being more aware of the surroundings such as oncoming cars and people. One exercise I use is when walking, I make extra sure I pay attention to the road and where the cars are going, and how drivers react to certain situations, helping me know what to do and how to be more aware. Being a better driver simply entails practice, all the books can be read on the subject of driving yet getting on the actual road is a whole different experience based on the experiences described above. Never getting on the road will never make anyone a better driver, it is as simple as that. Driving requires focus, practice, and overall attentiveness to you and your surroundings. Keeping passengers and yourself safe should be a number one priority while driving because it is a lot of pressure having to be responsible for others’ safety, so try to create a safe environment for all passengers. Safe driving requires practice and patience because it is also not an easy task Things like alcohol, texting, and having distracting passengers cannot help anyone on the road and will not help anyone on the road. More accidents will occur and more people will feel uneasy on the road of these distracting and intoxicating factors keep getting into the drivers and the drivers getting into cars.