Buckle Up Buttercup!

Flashing lights and sirens are never a good sign. However, when most people get pulled over, the first thing they think of is the inconvenience it is to themselves as they will probably have to pay a price for their poor behavior. What may not be considered are the other lives being put at risk when someone chooses to drive irresponsibly. Being a safe driver is more than just wearing a seatbelt or following the speed limit. It’s having a strong understanding of the responsibility you hold when driving, and putting that into practice. With over 34,000 deaths a year in the U.S. due to car accidents, it should not be something taken lightly. By paying attention to driver’s education, advocating for safe driving in social settings, and rewarding good behavior, it will allow for less people to suffer from the physical and emotional trauma that comes from reckless driving.

Every person with a driver’s license in the U.S. has taken a driver’s education course at some point in their life. Especially for teenagers, this can seem like just another task to get done before being able to enjoy the freedom of a driver’s license. This education course is actually an extremely critical part of being a driver on the road. It may be easy to tune out at the moment, but paying attention to the class will give young drivers the foundational knowledge to be a successful driver. This education process is important because it ensures that everyone knows to follow the same rules. Without it, new drivers would be learning from different people who may have different perceptions about the rules of the road. Instead, a general education course follows the same curriculum, which provides everyone with the same rules.

In addition to ensuring everyone receives a good education, rewarding good behavior on the road could also prove to be an effective way of limiting the amount of road related deaths. Obviously poor behavior needs to have consequences, especially if it’s putting other people in danger. Giving people an incentive for good behavior may encourage them to follow the rules better. For example, if the government were to give a monetary reward to everyone who goes the year without any tickets. Another example would be to reward those who advocate for no drunk drivers on the road. Those who drive their intoxicated friends home after a night out, could be recognized for their act in promoting safe driving. One way this could be done is by having people nominate their designated driver of their friend group, and then the nominations could be put in a drawing for a reward.

Being a responsible driver is not just thinking about how your driving affects you, but understanding the responsibility you have for those around you. Getting into the driver’s seat with the mindset that you are in control of a weapon that has the ability to kill someone at any moment, may provide a perspective shift in the way you drive. As a teenager, it can be easy to feel invincible as if nothing bad would happen to you. I’ve had an experience where I’ve been driving my friends and one of them couldn’t find their seatbelt. I could have just said it was fine to go without it and started driving, but instead I got out of the car and spent time helping her find it before even starting the car. It took maybe five minutes, and while it may have seemed annoying at the time, those five minutes could have saved her life. Even if I was driving cautiously, I have no control over the way others choose to drive, and we could have been in an accident. Had that happened, I would have felt extremely guilty for allowing her to go without a seatbelt.

I hope that by taking the time to make sure everyone is buckled before driving, that it sets a good example for my friends to follow. As I get older, one way I plan to practice safe driving is by advocating for it in social settings. If my friends have been drinking and need a ride, I always want them to feel comfortable asking me before grabbing the car keys themselves. Even if I’m tired and don’t feel like it, I want them to know they can always count on me to be a designated driver. Another way to promote safe driving is by refusing to get in the car with someone who is reckless on the road. Although they may be annoyed at the moment, it will show them that reckless behavior isn’t cool or something to be proud of. It will most likely push them to change their behavior for the better. This would help keep others on the road safe, as well as themselves.