Drive Safe

Driving is a task that requires our full attention. We need plenty of self-awareness to drive safely. If we are not self-aware, we could be putting ourselves or others in danger. In that case, we’d need to be prepared to drive defensively.

The significance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving is to protect ourselves and others from harm. When we are more educated on how to defend ourselves when driving, we are less at risk of an accident. Being proactive about driving can help when we are in a circumstance where we could crash. The main cause of many crashes is the lack of self-awareness and once we lose our self-awareness, we could lose our lives too.

Several steps could be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. The most important step is monitoring your surroundings. Whenever you want to make any turn, change lanes, back out of a parking space, etc. continually survey your surroundings. If you are not checking your surroundings, many things could go wrong and could even turn fatal. The next step is to communicate with other drivers. When you need to turn, change lanes, or merge, always signal. Whenever you are at a 4-way stop or another location, always make gestures to indicate to drivers what you are going to do. The drivers around you need to know ahead of time what your next move is. The next step is to obey all traffic laws. Always abide by any traffic signs, lights, and officers directing traffic. Failure to do so can lead to accidents, tickets, or even prison. The last step is to take your time arriving at your destination. Once you begin to rush, you become less aware of your surroundings and can become quite aggressive on the road. Aggression on the road can be very disruptive on the road and lead to accidents. Being responsible and aware of what you are doing on the road can lead to fewer accidents and fatalities.

I have had the experience of being in the vehicle of an erratic driver. They often did not signal on the road. They never abided by the speed limits on roads. They always ceased to maintain their lane and often almost drove into people. Lastly, they enjoyed passing people unsafely and not paying attention on the road. Passing people can be very dangerous if it is not permitted and can lead to an accident. Sometimes they were preoccupied by their phone, which was very hazardous. There were some things they did accurately like stopping at a stop sign but could never understand why they needed to abide by the rules. They merely abided by the rules when they wanted to or just when the police were not around. They lacked self-awareness while driving, so they didn’t care about others or even themself at times. One day their car did get impaired from how they were driving and they learned their lesson that day to stay self-aware. If you are in a vehicle with an unsafe driver, do not ride with them again. Choose a safer method of transportation or even drive your vehicle for your protection.

Steps that I could take to become a better driver are being more cautious on the road and self-aware. Always check my surroundings through my mirrors, maintain my lane, and watch my speed. Also watching other drivers is very important. If there is an aggressive driver near me, I always move out of their way if I can. You should always try to avoid an accident if you can, especially if there are irresponsible drivers on the road. Putting away any distractions is crucial because we need to be paying attention to the road at all times while driving. Taking into account how I feel while driving plays a significant role in my driving performance. If I am feeling frustrated and angry, I could become an aggressive driver. The best thing I could do is park somewhere appropriate and relax for however long I need to before I get back on the road. Feeling aggressive or even sad can disrupt your attentiveness on the road. Your attention being disrupted will most likely lead to problems while driving on the road, later causing an accident. Any wrong action can lead to something unfortunate. Practicing defensive driving is the best way to protect yourself and others from a potential accident. Stay alert and be prepared every time you take off.