Smart Driving

Last
year there were about 38,000 fatalities caused by car accidents. This
was actually a little less than that of the previous year. Although
the number is still outrageously high, its improvement nonetheless.
But there are ways to be even safer and save the lives of many more
in the future.

A
lot of accidents happen when drivers aren’t wary of their presence
on the road. They think that when they switch lanes or turn left or
right that there’s no need to put their signals on because it’s
an extra step they feel is unnecessary, but this causes accidents
that could’ve easily been prevented. This seems like common
knowledge and something that you begin to do when you first drive but
then later feel like you don’t need to because you’re experienced
but this is so important and helps you and others stay safe on the
road. Another thing that a lot of people don’t follow is street
lights. There’s a common misconception that a yellow light means
speeding so you don’t get a red. The road truly tests your patience
and its ultimately up to the driver to decide whether they want to be
responsible and irresponsible. This puts your life at risk as well as
the other people on the road because it should never be an either-or
situation.

My
dad and sister were in an accident when they were on their way home
because the other driver was trying to speed through a yellow light
but instead struck my dad’s car instead. Luckily my dad only got a
slight cut on his chin and my sister was just a little shaken up. As
for the car, the front of the car was ruined. I remember that my mom
was telling my sister to eat a spoonful of honey for the nerves. I
think we got money out of the situation and were able to repair the
car which shouldn’t have even happened in the first place if the
other driver would’ve just waited for the next light.

I
also think that there should be a mandatory re-testing when you hit a
certain age, maybe like around 30 or 35 just to keep drivers in check
and so they can stay sharp on their driving knowledge. This could
help drivers stay smart and keep them from lacking off.

Together
we can learn to create a safer driving environment and decrease the
number of fatalities caused by car accidents.