Look Into Your Rear-View Mirror

It’s stated that motor vehicle crashes are one of the top contributors to teenage deaths. An estimated 2,800 teenagers from around thirteen to nineteen years old died in car accidents in 2020, according to the CDC Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Keep in mind this is only statistics for children. For adults, who knows how this number shifts. Another source, NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, states that 38,824 people died nationwide due to car crashes. According to recent statistics, in 2022, NHTSA represents 42,795 citizens passing from reckless driving. Although there are no recent reports of 2023 crashes, it’s safe to say this number seems to continue to increase, which is unfortunate and worrisome. This issue has always been ongoing, especially in the United States, which leaves the damning question: How do we even stop the trend of reckless driving?

For starters, it is important to understand what reckless driving is. Reckless driving can be referred to as “reckless operation” or “driving to endanger,” depending on the state you are from. John McCurly defines reckless driving as “operating a vehicle in “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property” or in some similar fashion.” In simpler terms, reckless driving is driving a vehicle in an inappropriate manner that can pose a threat to others. Reckless driving can come in many forms, such as texting while driving, tailgating, running red lights, exceeding the speed limit, etc. Due to the number of deaths resulting from reckless driving, it provides further support on the benefits of driver’s education.

Drivers education, at least in the United States, is a course that teenagers from fifteen to sixteen and a half years of age are required to take before attaining a driver’s test to get a driver’s license. This course consists of rules of the road, how to handle and control a motor vehicle, and how to be responsible behind the wheel. When you are of the age to take these courses, there may be impressions that the information is basic knowledge or useless for when you are on the road. This, however, is not the case. Driver ed provides a resource to prevent more deaths from reckless driving. Driver’s education enables kids to access the proper ways to drive; this can come into form by staying in your lane, changing lanes, etc. This input of information can allow for that translation to when you are physically doing the task of driving. When we look at the operation of a motor vehicle, it is seen in the form of how to check your engine or headlights, which will significantly have an impact on car crash fatalities, so this allows teens to manage a vehicle that is safe for not only themselves but for others on the road as well. Finally and most importantly, there comes the responsibility of having a license. As many courses first state, driving is a privilege.

So, many people are careless behind the wheel, which causes many deaths of loved ones, but thankfully, this course first introduces the primary source on how to handle that responsibility. As mentioned, this is the basics of driving; the rest relies on you. With that in mind, driver education can only do so much for the individual and does decrease the death of car collisions by educating young drivers before they begin to have access to a license. Another way we can take better precautions before you turn the key is to keep safe driving in mind. You may think you always do this, but you would be surprised. Safe driving consists of being patient, focused, conscious, and watching your driving speed. In my experience, on a Saturday morning in 2012, I heard a loud bang outside while resting in bed. My mind started to race because I initially thought it was a gunshot. My parents rushed outside to discover an impact between my neighbor and our parked white truck, which was ultimately totaled. This occurred because my neighbor drove home after a night shift and fell asleep behind the wheel. Thankfully, nobody was outside, nor were there any fatalities from the incident. This is a prime example of the impairment and speeding issue, in the sense that my neighbor was not fully conscious and, therefore, crashed on his way home. In this case, my neighbor could’ve taken extra precautions by pulling over to take a nap or calling family for a ride home. This impairment also led my neighbor to speed, causing our family vehicle to become severely damaged. Any alternative would have been safer than feeling like you can make it home because you have done it before. The key takeaway from this experience is to take those extra steps to ensure you can drive. Driving is very demanding; it involves being alert and cautious one hundred percent of the time. So, although I am writing about what you can do, I can take away a thing or two.

To become a safer driver, I need to make sure I have my seatbelt on at all times. Your seatbelt can save your life if you are ever in a car crash. It is also a violation of the law with the common saying, “click it or ticket.” Now, I must watch my speed and keep my distance when driving. The importance of this is to have time for a reaction when another automobile breaks or swerves unexpectedly. Another step I can attribute to that would further create a safe environment is limiting distractions. Teenagers, including myself, especially have problems being on their phones, calling friends, or scrolling for the best music for the road trip. The smartest decision is to pick the song before switching the gears in drive and just to put your phone away because others lives in your hands. With everything I have discussed thus far, I expect you all to join me on the journey to become safer drivers. Let’s all take accountability and persevere to decrease that 42,795 statistic to 0.