Driving: Wonderful yet Scary

When someone gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, they are preparing to operate a multi-thousand-pound piece of machinery. Not all people quite realize the importance of their sobriety, specifically when other peoples’ lives are involved. As an unknown source wisely said, “The tears shed over a drunk driving accident are never worth the moments of recklessness,” The author of this quote understands how emotionally devastating drunk driving can be to those who are involved, or who have a loved one involved.

When someone is injured, or even killed in a drunk driving accident, it changes the people around them. Whenever they get into a vehicle for years, or even the rest of their lives, all they think about is how their family member was abruptly taken from them. For someone who has lost a loved one to a drunk driving accident, a vehicle is no longer a sense of enjoyment and peace, instead, it is a killing machine. For someone who was involved in an accident, there are times when their injuries are so major they can lose their freedom. Some people can not walk, or lose limbs due to another person’s ignorance.

Driving has an incredible number of factors to it, more so than most activities. When someone is driving, they must be aware of not only what they are planning on doing, but what everyone around them seems to be doing. One of the biggest issues with modern-day driving is the amount of drivers who think it is acceptable to drive under the influence. Driving under the influence does not just include having a BAC level of 0.08%. It can also include drugs or stimulants, and even energy drinks.

Moreover, as the newer drivers on the road become younger and younger, more risks are taken. Partially because cars are built more sustainably than a couple of decades ago, but also partially because people are not educated properly about the effects of reckless driving. Many schools have programs such as driver’s education, but for many schools it is optional. Additionally, there is a low acceptance rate for programs like these. With these parameters, few teenagers are able to be formally educated about the dangers on the road.

A study done in China in the early 2000s showed that when people were more educated about road dangers, and when rules were enforced more strictly, the number of crashes was drastically reduced. This shows a direct correlation between education and awareness of driving effects and crash rates. With the results of this study, one can infer that when people are educated it has an impact. Quite frankly, that goes for any topic, not just driving.

However, education is not always the answer. More often than not, people do not pay attention when learning something in a school-like environment and therefore the point is moot. This does not mean that stricter enforcement of the laws will not work. A good deal of people tend to want to take things the easy way. That means avoiding court, paying fines, and getting pulled over. If actions and laws like these were strictly enforced among the people, there is a much higher chance driving laws would have a greater impact.

Things do not change without a change of heart though. People either need to be able to see the damage caused by driving recklessly or have to pay for that damage for them to want to change. This may mean that people have to die, and their death is a catalyst for change. If that were the case that would greatly sadden most people given that someone had to sacrifice their life to teach someone a lesson, but it would go to show the true issues with the driving techniques used today.

In essence, driving is a wonderfully scary thing. Driving is an exhilarating activity if done so safely. If someone wanted to race a car, they should do so on a track. If someone is under the influence, they should not drive. All the resources someone needs to properly move about on the public roads should be readily available to them and it is up to the public to supply that. This might mean higher taxes more driving programs, or stricter laws. It might mean that more people are without a license or car. Whichever the case may be, a crisis can and will be averted if everyone does their part.