Driving Safety
Reese Middleton
DRIVING AGE
To drive, you need to be atleast 15 years old but it needs to be with a parent. When you turn 15, it does not mean that you should go straight to the highway to learn. You need to learn how to drive in neighborhoods first. If you do that, then you can get the wind shield wipers, the blinkers, the radio, and speed limit down.
SPEEDING
Speeding is a very serious thing. When you are speeding, you put everyone that is on the road in a bad situation. If someone hits you while they are speeding, then your life could be ended very quickly. In neighborhoods, if you are speeding, there is a chance that there can be little kids in the street that you can run over.
SPORT CARS
Yes, sport cars are probably the coolest cars in the planet. But usually if you crash with them, the possibillty of getting injured is a lot higher than crashing in a S.U.V. I am not saying to not drive your Corvette or your Mustang. I am just saying not to think that you're aloud to break all of the rules because your car drives faster.
SEATBELTS
Seatbelts save about 13,000 lives in the United States each year. If you are not wearing a seatbelt, going 60 mph, and you crash into another car, inertia will slam you into the windshield. That is pretty much a death on-the-spot. Seatbelts reduce a car accedent injury by about 50%. Research found about 17,000 people die in a car accedent not wearing a seatbelt. Do yourself a favor and wear a seatbelt; it could be the difference between life and death.
BREAKING THE BASICS
The basics are pretty much red lights, yield signs, stop signs, blinkers, lights, etc. They sound easy to follow, but after a long day, none of tem seem to matter. You really just want to get home. It's hard to get home when you are calling your insurance company, and car pieces are falling off of your car. If you are encountering a yellow light from 40 yards away, you need to slow down and stop. Yield signs dont mean to go without looking. They mean to slow down and look before you continue driving. Stop signs mean to stop, look both ways, and wait untill you can easily turn. If you are turning or switching lanes, you need to put on your blinker to inform the cars behind you. Lastly, you need to have your lights on at night to let other cars see you.
DRIVING AND TEXTING.
Text messaging creates a crash risk 23x worse than driving while not distracted.
Texting and driving makes people drive slower, not look at there surroundings, break the basics, and a bunch more. Honestly, it can wait.
DRIVING DRUNK
Alcohol affects your judgement, depth perception, and so much more. You will be charged with a DUI. Driving drunk is an easy way to kill or get killed on the road. People should not be endangered by you poor decision. Get home safely by driving sober.