Name: Jin You Goh
From: San Jose, California
Votes: 0
As an
international student from Malaysia, I immediately noticed the
difference in the attitudes of drivers here, being patient and
understanding of others which I find to be crucial values to possess
as drivers. For instance, every driver would willingly allow others
to switch lanes when needed whereas in Malaysia, drivers are often
tailgating and preventing others from jumping ahead of them. However,
despite the well-established driving system, there have been
increased number of casualties as a result of improper driving.
As
learners, it is of paramount importance to properly learn and
practice safe driving, and constantly remain aware of the presence of
other drivers. Driving accidents are caused by many reasons which
include having a poor drivers’ education such as a lack of
understanding of road signs, driving rules, appropriate state of
driving, and several others. Therefore, with a more informed and
educated group of drivers, the level of road deaths will gradually
reduce as drivers are more aware of the appropriate driving
behaviors.
Two
other major factors which also contribute to the increasing road
accidents over the past few years are drunk driving, texting while
driving, and the former is often associated with young adults. Hence,
one major step that could be taken to potentially reduce the number
of road deaths would involve restricting the usage of cell phones
whilst driving as this is a heavy distraction which interferes with
the drivers’ concentration; thus, reducing their road awareness.
With today’s advanced technologies, vehicle manufacturers should
incorporate devices to detect and maintain drivers’ attention, and
prevent driving in the presence of other distractions such as cell
phones and extremely loud music. Not only that, intoxication devices
are also essential tools to monitor and prevent drivers from drunk
driving.
Fortunately,
I have never been involved in a car accident my whole life, even
during the period while I was driving. However, I am occasionally
guilty of driving irresponsibly as I get distracted with reading
messages and answering calls, but for the most part, I stay
relatively focused on driving. Personally, I can safely say that both
my parents are safe drivers, and do not attend to external
distractions while driving.
Firstly,
I would set myself to learn and obtain a drivers’ license from a
well-established driving school, and ensure that I have fully grasped
onto the important rules and knowledge before driving on the road. On
top of that, another technique I would employ to practice safe
driving would be avoid driving when sleepy as it could also interfere
with my concentration. At moments like these, I would possibly pull
aside and take a short break before I begin my journey again. One
major rule which I will, and all drivers should adhere to is to not
text while driving as it represents one of the leading reasons for
road accidents. This behavior is a perfect representation of being
considerate and thoughtful towards the safety of others, and
prioritizing the right matters before an accident occurs.
