I had my new car, a blue Mazda 3, less than a week when I got into a car accident. Pulling out of the Midtown shopping center in Farmville, I didn’t look to the left before moving straight into the road. My car struck the back of another car driving from the left.

The family whose car I struck and I called the Farmville Police Department and exchanged insurance information. The family was kind, though shaken.

It was a frightening reminder that my actions, particularly when controlling a vehicle, have the potential to harm other people. When I pull out of that shopping center or other places, I think about the family, and use caution by making sure to look both ways before going into the road.

Often vehicle accidents are just that — they’re accidents. However, I think all of us could learn steps to ensure we’re keeping ourselves and each other as safe as possible on the road.

April is Highway Safety Month in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia government and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) are taking steps to address pedestrian safety and distracted driving and are budgeting funds to improve roadways in localities through the state.

Pedestrian safety is top priority, particularly for the number of students and residents who not only cross the street in Farmville but in Buckingham and Cumberland as well. When road and construction projects also take place in the region, which can be regularly, moving into the furthest lane from construction or road workers can mean the difference between danger or safety for people who work on these projects.

Accidents are often outside of one’s control. However, addressing potential factors such as the quality of roads can be imperative to preventing future accidents. As budget season draws near, the quality of our roads in the counties where we live is always an important and necessary investment to potentially keep vehicle-accident-related fatalities at none, if at all possible. Just as important as being aware of our own actions, making VDOT or our county supervisors aware of potential road issues can make an enormous difference in accident prevention.

Paula Jones with VDOT offers residents the following tips when driving. Perhaps we as a community can put these plans into action when we’re on the road.

“Be prepared before driving,” Jones said. “Make sure your car is operating properly, that you have the necessary safety devices and use them and that you, as the driver, are physically/mentally prepared to be behind the wheel. Also, and this is very important, avoid distractions when driving. Statistics show that distracted driving is a significant factor in incidents.”

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH is a staff reporter for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Emily.Hollingsworth@FarmvilleHerald.com.