Rules of the Road

In a country where one learns to drive by the age of 16 and you can only get around by driving a car. Driver education is more important than ever.” I received my license at the age of 18 because when I was 16, I was scared of driving, especially with some of the drivers that are on the road. I eventually needed my driver’s license because I needed to go to college and work.. So, I gathered all of my courage and got my license. Now that I’ve been driving for five years, and realized that while I cannot control others actions, I can control mine. I can also educate and encourage others to follow the rules of the road.

There was a time when me and a friend worked at the same location, we both decided it would be beneficial if we went to work together in one car. When it was my friend’s turn to drive, I saw how irresponsible they drove. They tended to go over the speed limit, and pass everyone, sometimes even not signaling. These actions made me very nervous, and I would let them know. We would leave for work early so we wouldn’t be late, and if we were to be late it was not worth the risk. Speeding is a big part of the problem in the number of deaths related to driving and according to ‘The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI)’, “More than 12,000 deaths — 29 percent of all crash fatalities — occurred in speed-related crashes in 2021.”, I made sure to point out the risk and how irresponsible it was. Just because they have not experienced an accident does not mean it cannot happen, especially when you are driving irresponsibly.

Speeding isn’t the only issue you will see on the road. People not using their blinkers or lights properly, not obeying signs and getting too close to other moving vehicles are some of the reckless actions being done. Because of this I believe that we would all benefit from a small review of rules and laws to follow when renewing our licenses. We all just learn everything one time, and overtime we start forgetting it because considerable time has passed or because we see everyone else doing it a certain way so we follow. I firmly believe we could all benefit from a refresher. With this in mind,this would be a good step into reducing the amounts of deaths caused by car accidents.

I don’t want driving to be a bad experience for myself and others, so these are some of the steps I follow; I get out of my house early so I get to my destination on time, I leave enough space between cars, I follow the speed limit, but most importantly I am aware of my surroundings all the time, I can see if someone is speeding and most likely will try to go in front of me, I can tell if someone will try to merge, if a person or animal is going to cross the road, etc. Its not just looking but paying attention to the road that is the most important thing. Another important thing I do is check my car often, such as checking the oil and windshield wiper fluid before and after a long drive, and also, I immediately check why a light is on. Thankfully, we have tools to help us figure out what’s wrong with our cars, and a simple search on the internet can lead us to the right direction of figuring out what’s wrong with our car and most times the solution is simple. I was the one that taught my sister to drive, and I always remind her of these details. My driver education class taught me the majority of the rules I follow. While it might’ve been a long time ago, it really stuck with me, especially hearing the stories of people who’ve been involved in car accidents and hearing how preventable they were. This is why driver education is so important, even after we take a class on it.

To summarize my point, while we can’t control what other people decide to do on the road, we can encourage and educate those people about the rules of the road. Being aware of our surroundings is a huge indicator of how to act accordingly. As well as making sure our cars are in good condition. We all want to make it home safe and sound. I value my life and other people’s lives too. I will always be cautious while driving and encourage those around me to do the same.