Small Actions, Big Consequences

You’re on a busy road. Your knuckles grip the steering wheel, turning white and feeling sweaty. Someone is trying to merge into your lane. The car in front of you is slowing down. You need to switch over three lanes for the next exit, all while your passengers are blaring music and singing, or more like screaming, along.

Let’s face it, driving can be scary and stressful, especially for new drivers. These situations can easily turn deadly when you’re going 60 mph down a road with other cars going just as fast, especially oncoming traffic. Being stressed and feeling unprepared can cause drivers to make decisions they might not have if they were calmer. Although some of this confidence can be gained through experience, proper driver’s education allows for drivers to feel more prepared for any kind of situation they may encounter on the road.

Not only can driver’s education lay a solid foundation to boost a driver’s confidence, but it can also deliver the seriousness of driving and the responsibility that each driver holds. Because driving is something that most people do every day, it can be easy to forget just how dangerous it can be. Small distractions like changing the music or eating food, or small infractions like rolling a stop sign or going 5 mph over the speed limit, can have big consequences. These bad driving habits that seem like no big deal to an experienced driver can make the difference of someone getting home safe or not. Instilling the sense of responsibility into every driver out on the road can make a difference for the better to the number of deaths related to driving.

In my own experience, it’s easy to stay quiet as a passenger when you see the driver being distracted or not following every law. Nobody wants to be the one to say something. However, this small action of speaking up, can make a big difference. Driver’s education helps to educate people not only for when they are driving, but also when they are riding with someone else to know the habits that can make driving so much safer: buckle up, stay off your phone, don’t speed, and many others as well. When I am riding with others, I say something if I see them reaching for their phone, because as awkward as it can be, I want to make it home safely. Instilling this responsibility into each driver can relay the serious act that driving is, as fun and simple as it may seem at times.

I was in a car accident a few years ago. I was in the passenger’s seat, while my sister was driving, and we were on our way to school. It was the beginning of May, and we had been taking the same route all year. We came to an intersection in a residential area, where the direction we were going had a stop sign, but the intersecting street did not. There were parked cars along the sides of the opposite street, making it difficult to see oncoming traffic. After pulling out into the intersection, we were hit directly on the passenger’s side where I was sitting, spun around, and went up onto the curb, close to hitting a light pole. I am lucky to be alive and to have walked away with minimal injuries, but I know it could have been so much worse. I can’t help but think about how we felt like it was any other morning and driving to school was no big deal, because driving is always a big deal. Maybe if we would have stopped for another second, we would have seen the other car, and it could have been prevented. Either way, remembering the seriousness of driving could have helped prevent a crash that day.

I try to remember every time I drive that I have a responsibility to myself and others to be aware of my driving habits. When I’m not driving, but riding instead, I try to feel confident in what I know and speak up to the driver if I see any bad habits. I know that these small habits can make a huge difference in the safety of those in the vehicle with me and any others out on the road around me. For all drivers on the road to have the foundation that comes with driver’s education is essential to have the initial confidence and ongoing awareness to be a safe driver, which makes for a safer experience for everyone involved.