Lives are on the Line

Cars
are easily one of the most necessary pieces of technology in society
today. If one day we woke up and every motor vehicle on the planet
had disappeared, the everyday functions of the world would come to a
standstill. Despite how important and helpful vehicles are, they pose
a danger. Irresponsible drivers are everywhere, and most people just
deal with the fact that these drivers will run stop signs, speed
excessively, and generally put others in unnecessary danger. However,
there are ways that we can, as a society, improve the safety of
driving, and it all starts with drivers ed.

According
to carsurance.net, 40% of accidents are caused by drunk driving, 30%
by speeding, and 33% by irresponsible driving. The goal of driver
education is primarily to teach young people how to operate a car,
and what the rules of the road are. Most of the time, driver
education will emphasize speed limits, four way stops, when to turn,
et cetera. What needs to be highlighted just as much is the high
stakes that come with driving. Speeding isn’t just a problem when
you get pulled over by a cop. Speeding kills people. All drivers, new
ones especially, need to be taught that driving irresponsibly or
while intoxicated, texting, eating, or being distracted in any way
not only drastically increases the possibility of your death as a
driver in a crash, but it puts innocent civilians at risk. Driving is
a responsibility, not a privilege. When a teen turns 16, and gets
their license, almost everything they know about driving was learned
through drivers ed, which is why the curriculum needs to teach
the significance of being a responsible and aware driver. Lives are
on the line.

Personally,
I have seen several people in my life driving irresponsibly. Anyone
from the parents who I’ve looked up to as the gold standard for how
I should act, to some of my friends who I frankly wouldn’t expect
anything else from. They eat lunch behind the wheel because it’s a
busy day and they’re in a hurry, and speed for the same reason.
Friends will sometimes text, without even stopping to consider that
they are putting their phone ahead of the lives in their vehicle. I
try to push road safety on them in every aspect, knowing that cars
are dangerous, and the driver holds the responsibility of keeping
passengers safe. While driving, I connect my bluetooth music through
my phone before I start moving, and then my phone sits in my cup
holder until I’m back in park. If I am sleepy, I find another
option to get home, because I know that even a small risk of falling
asleep can be lethal behind the wheel. In the end, everyone needs to
fully absorb the fact that everyone in the car they are driving,
along with the people in cars around them, is counting on them to
keep them safe, because quite bluntly, one mistake is deadly.