The Importance of being a Safe Driver

What does it mean to be a safe driver? That seems like an obvious question, many people would answer with “following the rules” or “don’t be stupid and reckless behind the wheel.” and yet, we still hear case after case of people getting into terrible, often fatal, accidents. If the general public knows what it means to drive safely, then why is this still a problem? It all revolves around the education a new driver receives, and every habit they may pick up throughout their driving lifetime.

First off, the education. Everyone needs it. No one knows how to operate a car or the laws of the road the second they become the legal age. But just because everyone needs it, doesn’t mean that everyone receives the same level of education. There are many different places where a student can take classes and learn what they need. Most take a class in school, some take classes at the DMV, and others may go to a third-party company for written or behind the wheel learning. Furthermore, it is very common for a new driver to take at least two of these options during their path to earning their license. And that’s not even getting into how each of these may differ between states. Driving is a very fundamental step in life, it gives people easy access to travel wherever they need to in a reasonable amount of time. Therefore, it’s important that new drivers are given thorough teaching. This is where older, more experienced drivers have the chance to start off younger drivers on the right path. So, if anything is missing or not fully explained, a new driver could head out onto the road without vital information. Knowing how to read signs, learning different routes, and how to operate a vehicle are the keys to driving, and thus, being a safe driver. The faster you can determine information, or read traffic patterns, or even recognize when something might be amiss in your car are all things that can change the outcome of a potential accident. Without Education, all of this knowledge has to be learned through experience, and that takes much more time. Time that leaves open a higher possibility for a bad accident to occur.

But what does a new driver, or even an older driver, do if they didn’t get all their questions answered, or didn’t listen as much as they should have during school?. Even with a good education, bad habits can form that will tip the scales. Even something seemingly as minor as checking the gps on your phone could put you in a very bad spot. These habits can form over time, starting subtle and growing into secondary nature. If it causes any kind of distraction, it is dangerous. To avoid this, it’s important that you take steps to develop good habits that can help you drive safer. Some key steps everyone should take are; checking your car’s fuel and oil levels before traveling, using your turn signal when necessary, and checking the area around your car before reversing out of a parking spot, and, of course, keeping your car in tip-top shape with routine maintenance. Even if you don’t follow every single one of these to the letter, turning these small steps into habits lowers the chances that you or someone else could end up in the hospital. I, myself, have been driving for a little over two years now, and steps like these have saved me during many close encounters. The majority of them were me choosing to look one extra time before moving and thankfully avoiding being hit by oncoming traffic. However, there was one time that this failed me. I was reversing out of a parking spot and didn’t notice the car behind me until it was too late. Thankfully no one was injured, and there was hardly a scratch on either vehicle, but it did serve as a reminder to look behind me when reversing. I have gotten extremely lucky when driving, and although I like to think I drive very safely, I have seen countless drivers act much more recklessly on the road. As much as I don’t want bad things to happen, I know that sooner or later, the reckless actions I see them take could end up with someone seriously injured or worse. A few of those times did end up in serious accidents.

Overall, Good habits and a strong education are not the only things that can be done to make driving safer. While those are the more personal aspects, there are much larger actions that can be taken. Regulations around drinking and driving, road maintenance, and proper signage/lights/ warnings along the road are all things that help people avoid situations that could negatively impact their driving, especially when there is a chance they might be under the influence (which is never a good idea). If every person, whether they are in a seat of power or an everyday citizen, takes even a fraction of these good habits and steps, it would lessen the chance that anyone could be harmed on the road. The more safe drivers there are out there, the safer the roads are.