“A Guide to Safe Driving and Its Importance”

In today’s society, irresponsible driving has become more common, as well as the amount of deaths that result from it. The lives of many families, communities, and friends are forever altered by the losses of their loved ones, especially in preventable situations such as car accidents. There are many steps that can be taken to decrease this rising death toll, with driver education being a prominent start.

Our United States government has recognized the importance of educating our nation’s drivers, with many states mandating that courses must be completed in order to receive a license. Although this is the case, many people still question if this form of learning is necessary. One benefit of driver education is the fact that it implements responsible habits from the very beginning of one’s lifetime of driving. According to a Children’s Hospital of Orange County teen advisor, “creating good habits as a teenager is good for responsibilities later on in life. If we keep pushing away responsibilities and saying that we’ll get to them later, we build bad habits for adulthood” (Choc, “How Teens Can Build Healthy Habits: Teen Advisers Weigh In”). This advisor strongly believes that living a healthy life starts with the habits that individuals create early in life. This concept carries over to driving techniques as well, as the crucial skills learned in driver education courses will stay with learners for the rest of their lives, leading to a decrease in vehicle-related deaths.

Not only does driver education teach young drivers safety, but the course also warns teens about the consequences of their actions behind the wheel. The classes mainly lay out two types of consequences: legal and emotional consequences. Students are guided through actions which could get them into trouble with the law, such as fines and even jail time. Even if the wrongful action does not lead to legal consequences, emotional detriment can still be present. Injuring or even killing someone on the road can leave an individual with immense guilt for the rest of his or her life. Because this is a scary thought for most people, especially young drivers, it is crucial to find ways to avoid this fate, and participating in driver education programs is a great tactic to achieve this goal.

Although there are many steps that can be taken in order to drive responsibly, two leading practices are driving sober and avoiding distractions. As mentioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “just one drink before driving can put you and others in danger, because alcohol impairs thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination” (“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over | NHTSA”). This statement insinuates that any amount of alcohol can cause negative side effects and should prohibit driving. Another study conducted by the NHTSA provides that “every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes – that’s one person every 39 minutes. In 2021, 13,384 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths – a 14% increase from 2020” (“Drunk Driving | NHTSA”). This data displays the drastically increasing amounts of drunk-driving related deaths, all in which are preventable. Along with staying sober on the road, avoiding distractions is just as important. Distractions pull the driver’s attention away from his or her surroundings, raising the chances of an accident. Once again provided by the NHTSA, “In 2020, 3,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers” (“Distracted Driving | NHTSA”). In just one year alone, thousands of people’s lives were taken due to distracted driving. If drivers make the smart decision to avoid distractions, our roads will be much safer for everyone.

Accompanying statistical information, my own experiences have shaped my views on safe driving as well. Although I have never been in an accident myself, I witnessed the impact that unsafe driving can have on a community as a whole. Several years ago, my friend and her family were struck by a drunk driver in a very serious accident. This tragedy left her, as well as her father and siblings, requiring many months of surgeries and physical therapy. Unfortunately, my friend’s mother passed away in the weeks following the accident, as there was nothing the doctors could do to save her. This devastating event truly opened the eyes of myself and many others to the importance of safe and sober driving, as we witnessed firsthand the effects that one accident can have on so many individuals.

Ever since this incident, I have seriously focused on practicing safe-driving habits and encouraging others to do so as well. I really stress the importance of driver education courses to my peers, as proper education can go a long way. Cell phone prohibition while driving is another behavior that I advocate for. These devices are often very addicting to many individuals, especially teenagers, but driving safely should be everyone’s main priority.

Overall, both statistics and my personal experiences have heavily impacted my views on driver education and safe driving as a whole. This education is crucial for teaching learners the rules of the road, lowering the amount of accident-related deaths. I hope to see a major decrease in the frequency of these incidents in my lifetime and for generations to come.