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Sandra Yi reportingSo many uncontrollable factors contribute to automobile accidents, and it's easy to complain about the other drivers on the road.
One thing you can control and improve is your own driving.
The freeways can be a dangerous place. One Utah Highway Patrol trooper hopes to change that, one class at a time.
Prydwen Megzger: "You know our reputation as Utah drivers..."
RJ Hone/ Lindon Resident: "If anybody's ever spent time on the freeway, they know what's going on out there."
Safety experts say people behind the wheel are more aggressive today than they were 10 years ago. And it's often evident on the freeways.
Jim Brierley/ Utah Highway Patrol: "People are so used to driving in town, and when you get out on the freeway with the increased speeds, the danger increases."
Trooper Brierley has seen how bad habits on the road can lead to danger. He plans to volunteer his time to teach a freeway driving seminar.
Today was the first refresher course. Topics included bad weather driving, merging, and getting on and off the freeway.
Prydwen Megzger/ Provo Resident: "I've been passed on the right when I'm entering, merging onto the freeway at times. It's important to know. There's a lot of misunderstanding who gives the right of way."
Jim Brierley: "The reason that things were going wrong out there wasn't because people didn't want to do right. It was because they just needed some help to understand the right way to do things."
A common mistake, he says, is drivers squeezing into places.
Jim Brierley: "If people would plan ahead and adjust their speed to account for that, they'd be able to keep the free flow of traffic moving better without causing problems."
People who signed up for the class say it should be required. They say when it comes to driving, there's always room for improvement.
RJ Hone: "Everybody needs a refresher course in defensive driving because there are a lot of people who don't know what they're doing, and they figure they're a better driver than anybody else."
The classes will continue every month, if there's enough interest. For more information or to sign up, you can call the UHP Office at 801 234-8285.
