In The Driver’s Seat Essay

Many people never think twice when entering a car as it has become a daily routine for most. But we still see many people being extremely afraid to fly planes. David Ropeik, an Instructor in Risk Communication at the Harvard School of Public Health, states that chances of experiencing a fatal plane accident are one in eleven million while chances of dying during a car crash are one in 5,000. Currently, transportation via vehicles such as cars and buses are the most common way to get around, showing how vital it is for people to take measures in order to make driving safer. We should all take action to make roads safer for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians by educating ourselves and others before getting on the road. Some of the most common actions that cause driving to be more dangerous are driving under the influence, speeding, and driving while using a smartphone.

One of the most common wrong doings while driving is driving under the influence. Alcohol and other substances impair the brain and make thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination difficult. In the United States it is illegal to drive drunk but still many do it without thinking about the harm it could cause others. It is possible for the driver to get harmed or arrested, but oftentimes the victims of drunk driving are innocent bystanders. Research gathered from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from 2021 demonstrates that every 39 minutes a life was taken by the cause of someone driving under the influence, causing an amount of 13,384 people killed in the year by incidents that could have easily been prevented. We should teach new and current drivers to always choose a non-drinker driver if going out, to not drink alcohol if you’re planning to drive, or to call a taxi or Uber if you have drank and need a ride home. This demonstrates that by teaching our drivers how dangerous driving under the influence can be we can be able to save thousands of innocent lives and prevent an innumerable amount of accidents on the road.

Another action that is often seen that makes driving dangerous is speeding. Many drivers do not understand how dangerous speeding can be. It has been said by many that the speed limit is “just an option in the US.” Many US drivers believe that they can ignore speed limits because they have immaculate skills when it comes to driving or because they are enraged and have to show it in some way. They don’t think it is possible for them to get into an accident and hurt others on the way. But research shows these drivers are simply uneducated and overconfident. NHTSA released data that states that nearly one-third of fatal accidents on the road are caused by speeding. Just in the year 2021, 12,330 lives were taken by reckless speeding related car crashes. We need to teach our drivers that when it comes to speeding, getting caught by the police is not the only risk. Most of those who speed recklessly are not aware of the danger they are putting others and themselves in. This is another example of why driver education is crucial to maintain our roads safe.

Finally, one of the most habitual acts done while driving that creates hazards on the roads is driving while using a smartphone. Every single day on my way to school I see people driving while using their phones. They seem very distracted, not noticing if the traffic lights changed or if there’s a car in front of them. I’ve personally never been in a crash because someone was distracted on their phone but there have been too many close calls. This just makes me and others feel less safe on our ways to school, work, or home. The National Safety Council has reported that around 1.6 million crashes and 390,000 injuries occur because of distracted driver’s using their phones. Many new drivers see this common act being performed by veteran drivers and are made to believe that using their phones while operating a car is completely safe. We need to teach all of our drivers that using their phones for even five seconds can lead to fatal accidents.

It is important to remember that once in the driver’s seat it is your responsibility to take action and make sure that you have been well educated for the position and that you are being safe at all times. We should all educate ourselves before getting into the driver’s seat to once and for all make driving under the influence, speeding, and using phones while driving stop taking innocent lives. Many people do not understand how common and simple actions done while driving could be so impactful in making our roads safe or dangerous, so we need to educate all of our drivers to make a difference.