Regardless of what many people may think, traffic safety is the most important thing when it comes to cars. Many people, who have disobeyed traffic laws, exist for the safety of everyone; have ended up dead or killing innocent people. The United States has an average of 42,000 car crash-related deaths a year. (Lonero, 35-38) To be a safe driver, one must know proper car maintenance, as well as safety specifications while outside the car, inside the car, or driving a car.
When a driver is outside the car, walking on the street, he must follow a couple of basic laws. One of these laws has been taught to you by your parents, which tells you to look both ways before crossing a road. The second law is not to distract other drivers while driving. By distracting other drivers, you may cause them to collide with other cars or pedestrians.
When a person enters a car, he must at least check if the signals, breaks, and mirrors work before he starts to drive. This is very important because the signals can distract other drivers, faulty brakes can cause you to collide with another vehicle or pedestrian, and sub-standard mirrors may not be able to cover blind spots. The most important thing to do before starting to drive a car is to buckle your seatbelts. Seatbelts are there for your own safety. If you should be in a head-on car accident, and you are not wearing your seatbelt, you can fly through the window, causing you to suffer brain damage or even death.
When a person is on the road driving, he must use common sense and follow a set of laws to ensure that the person and everyone around him is not hurt. He must follow a set of don’ts and do’s. Many car accidents happen because the driver is easily distracted, speeds, or talks on the phone. A good driver must look ahead and pay attention to every little thing there is on the road. Overall, for someone to be known as a good driver, he must follow traffic laws. These laws are there to protect the lives of everyone. To be a safe driver, one must know proper car maintenance, as well as safety specifications while outside the car, inside the car, or when driving a car.
The volume of cars on the road increases each year and contributes to the number of accidents that occur. The amount of sixteen-year-old drivers has significantly grown larger since 1995. In the future, this increase will continue into 2010. So with this increase in drivers, a call for educating these drivers led to having many schools across the nation start teaching road safety to kids of all ages. (Mabbott, 49-51) This education began at the elementary level by teaching kids the safe ways to ride the bus to and from school. Learning traffic signs and looking both ways when crossing the street, and making sure to always wear their seat belts.
Drivers below the age of 25 consists of close to thirty percent of the fatalities that occur every day on the road. The push for the education of these drivers used to lead public schools in having driver-ed courses. Due to budget cuts in schools everywhere, many schools nowadays do not have these courses for teens. Many states have made laws regarding new rules for obtaining licenses. Teens not only must go through a permitting stage but must log anywhere from thirty to fifty hours of driving time with their parents or guardian.
Not only does this education fall onto the teenagers of today and generations before, but older people who were driving before licensing were truly a concern for state and federal governments. Since the early 1900s, having a driver’s license did not actually mean a person was educated or able to drive.
The education of younger drivers has helped to reduce the mortality rate of those teen drivers out there. Studies show that a teen with some sort of driving education, both in the class and in the car, greatly reduces the rate of involvement in an accident as well as accident severity. Less trouble with traffic violations is also seen in teen drivers who have had an education. Only about half of students that attend school receive driver education.
For drivers to be able to prevent fatigue-related accidents, it is imperative that people know what warning signs to look for. Things such as yawning, blurry vision, and feeling stiff and cramped are obvious signs of driver fatigue, but there are several more subtle signs to look for. Becoming impatient is one such sign, as is the driver allowing his or her speed to creep up. Making poor gear changes is yet another sign, and of course, a decrease in the driver’s reaction time generally means it’s time to rest. Perhaps rather than wait for these signs to occur in order to prevent an accident, drivers should take the necessary precautions to prevent fatigue in the first place. (Hartley, 101-106)
There are many prevention measures associated with driver fatigue, some more obvious than others. Probably the most important precaution to take is for a driver to get plenty of quality sleep prior to setting out on a journey.
No alcohol should be consumed before and during a journey to avoid any unsavory side-effects which may impair the driver. The other important precaution is for drivers to be cautious of medication and be well aware of its possible impairment on driving capabilities. There are several other measures to take to complete a safe journey, such as eating sensibly, receiving plenty of fresh air while driving, and taking regular breaks. It is also a sensible idea for drivers to plan ahead of a journey and decide which rest areas they will be stopping at. Finally, the most important thing a driver needs to remember is that if he or she begins feeling fatigued, pull over and survive.
Works Cited
Lonero, Lawrence and Clinton, Kathryn and Brock, John and Wilde, Gerald and Laurie, Irene and Black, Douglas: Novice Driver Education Model Curriculum Outline 2005: 35-38.
Hartley, L. (2003). Fatigue and Driving: Driver Impairment, Driver Fatigue and Driving Simulation. Taylor & Francis, London. 101-106.
Mabbott, N., Foster, G., & McPhee, B. (2001) Heavy Vehicle Seat Vibration and Driver Fatigue. Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Canberra. 49-51.