Driver’s Education on Car Safety

Imagine this scenario: you are driving along a rural country road and coming up at a railroad crossing with no gates. The lights are flashing and the bell is dinging loudly. You look to your left to see a train coming along the line, which is moving slowly. What do you do?

Do you wait patiently for the train to pass or do you decide to beat the train to the crossing?

If you chose the latter option, then you have selected poorly as you have misjudged how fast the train is moving. One of the first rules in these scenarios is to never beat the train to the crossing, because it may seem like the train is moving slowly far away. However, upon closer inspection, the train is actually moving at a high speed, hauling a heavy freight train or a passenger train. Trains are large heavy vehicles that cannot stop on a dime. When it comes to Trains vs cars, the train always wins, creating damage to your car and yourself, if you’re not lucky.

Accidents like these happen all the time due to the driver’s negligence. It isn’t only accidents on the railroad crossing that can be considered deadly, accidents also occur on the many roads and highways that span the country. While some accidents are caused by outside forces that we can’t control, most of the time, many accidents are caused by irresponsible drivers who think that they own the road and know better than other people. Other times, accidents can be attributed to road rage. Thousands of people die on the road and despite the many safety measures put in place, drivers can put themselves and those around them at risk.

I had witnessed some of these accidents firsthand, though I only saw one accident play out before my eyes due to a driver being irresponsible and the other times I only saw the aftermath of accidents that could have easily been prevented. These accidents were rather ugly and destructive, it gives just a taste of how bad these accidents can be and all of it can be the fault of one or more drivers. Some of those accidents, most often than not, occur on slower roads. However, the highway is just as dangerous since many cars and trucks are traveling at almost 60 MPH down them. Traffic can pile up fast, as one wrong move could have an accident blocking one or two lanes at best or blocking the entire freeway and the other highway that’s across the median at worst. Even then, when a major accident occurs, other drivers can still cause their own accidents on their side of the highway. Since they might not know or ignore the safety and the rules, they put other drivers at risk while on the road.

One of the main rules of the road and for all drivers is to wear a seatbelt at all times when you’re driving, even when going for a short ride around the block. 17,452 people die alone in accidents because they were not wearing their seatbelts. They think airbags can prevent them from dying, but the seatbelts are there for a reason. Newton’s law states; an object in motion must stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force and the opposite holds true when considering inertia. Your car isn’t the only one that’s moving, but yourself and any other people or objects that are in the car with you. If you have an accident at a good amount of speed, without wearing a seatbelt, your body will catapult into the steering wheel, through the front windshield glass, or right into the back of the driver and front passenger seat. You can get very serious, if not fatal, injuries if you don’t wear a seatbelt, especially in a violent crash. These seatbelts are very important and without them, you can find yourself being launched into the windshield or the driver and front passenger seat.

Another main rule of the road; is being able to pay attention to your surroundings at all times. Distracted drivers can be dangerous to work around as they are not paying attention to what’s around them. Texting and driving, calling someone on the phone, or doing something else while driving can lead to fatal accidents simply because you are not paying any attention. Nine percent of accidents are caused by these drivers who think it’s a good idea to take their eyes and ears off the road for even a split second. You might not see a stop sign or a red light. Maybe you cannot see the line of cars ahead of you or you let go of the steering wheel to get something that has fallen onto the floor. These simple actions can lead to hundreds of fatalities on the road. You cannot be distracted while driving a car, truck, or motorcycle. You can enjoy whatever you want when you get to the destination, use Bluetooth, pick a playlist, or talk to someone while keeping an eye out on the road, but you cannot take your phone out and start texting while driving. Otherwise, you might end up in the hospital room.

The most important rule of the road is to never drink and drive or take drugs before driving. This kind of stuff is illegal and you could get pulled over if you’re driving erratically. That’s the best thing that can happen to you if you ever drive under the influence, the worst thing is a fatal accident. Both alcohol and drugs can inhibit your ability to drive as the effects take over your body. Should your body be over the legal limit of .08, then you need to wait until you get sober enough to drive. If you don’t intend on driving, then you need to have a friend to take you back home as you’re in no condition to drive. Drugs might also have the same effect on you but in different ways as smoking or doing other drugs can impair your judgment, and you would make decisions that could end up in a horrible accident. You should never do drugs, but if you do, then please stay at home and don’t go anywhere until you’re alright to drive or go to a hospital if it’s a bad case. As for alcohol, you never drive at all. These kinds of drivers are easy to spot and are more common at night, which makes driving worse due to the limited visibility and the last thing you want is to encounter a car that’s swerving around on the road with its lights off.

Driving can be dangerous, with how many cars and trucks are on the road, it would be hard to avoid an accident, especially if the drivers around you are acting up and not respecting other drivers, including yourself, perhaps you might be that driver. This is why having an education on the rules of the road and safety for your car is important, as it reduces the risks posed by driving. Even though some drivers may choose to ignore it, this kind of education is vital to reduce the number of accidents out on the road. When you know what to do in certain situations and follow the warning signs, you can prevent another death on the highway. This doesn’t mean that all accidents can be avoided though, but it would make sure that you’re careful out there and know what to do if you happen to have an accident.

When you follow the right procedures, you can prevent your and other drivers’ deaths. You can prevent accidents and respect your fellow drivers around you. You need to be aware of everything around you and you need to be focused. Sure, you can have friends with you, but you need to keep your eyes peeled for any other drivers who might ignore the rules and you might have to react in order to avoid them. The next time you’re caught in a traffic jam or behind a driver who has no idea what they’re doing, stay calm and let the police handle the rest.