What It Takes To Drive Safe!

Robert Noonan

Drivers Ed Online
Essay Contest

3/27/20

What It Takes To Drive Safe!

Drivers 17-20
years old have the highest rate of being involved in motor vehicle
accidents across the country. Drivers ed programs are
designed to teach young drivers the rules of the road which in turn
will prevent the number of accidents, fatalities and injuries that
occur. Distracted driving and driving while impaired/intoxicated
(DWI) are dangerous and steps should taken to minimize or limit this
whenever possible. The reliance on cell phones in society has led to
an increase in distracted driving and to more accidents. The use of
phone apps such as Drive Smart and Safe Drive can be great steps to
take to stop or limit distracted driving and reduce the number of
deaths related to driving. Many programs such as SADD and MADD have
helped reduce the rate of DWIs’ and saved lives. I also see a
greater use of rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft as great ways to
reduce accidents and keep people safe.

While I have
never been involved in a motor vehicle accident, I have often
listened to my father speak of his experiences responding to motor
vehicle accidents as a firefighter. In one instance a couple of
years ago when I was a freshman in high school, my father responded
to an accident on a rainy night where three of my older classmates
were speeding and lost control of their car hitting a utility pole.
All three students were trapped in the vehicle and had to be cut out
by the fire department. The driver suffered numerous injuries that
cost her freshman year in college while she recovered. I think of
that accident often as I drive to and from school and work.

The steps to take
to be a better and safer driver as so simple and can be based in
common sense and courtesy. Wearing your seat belt is the law but
many people still disregard this basic safety feature designed to
protect everyone while driving. Looking both ways at an
intersection, coming to a complete stop and not tailgating are great
ways to ensure your and your fellow drivers’ safety. Do not drive
aggressively and if you encounter another driver in a road rage
situation, do everything possible to defuse the situation. Driving
is not the time to multitask, focus needs to stay on the road and you
should be looking as far away as you can to identify any potential
problems in front of you. Is getting to your final destination a few
seconds or minutes sooner by speeding worth the risk to your
passengers or you as the driver? The answer is simply NO!