Education, Responsibility, and Accountability in All Drivers

Comprehensive driver’s education is important because it allows people to identify their problem areas before they become risks to other drivers and pedestrians. Driver’s education also teaches people defensive driving which helps to decrease anxiety on the roadways, and has a significant influence on safety. Defensive driving reduces deaths by reducing accidents overall, as drivers are more cognizant of potential hazards on the roadway and are more cautious when operating a vehicle. When I participated in driver’s training, my driving instructor was very helpful in teaching me proper defensive driving for operating a vehicle and adverse weather conditions, such as rain, snow or fog. This is important because adverse weather can be a very significant factor in car accidents. According to Transport Canada, environmental factors such as bad weather contributed to 18% of all fatal motor vehicle accidents. Having training that teaches you what to do in case you’re hydroplaning, or your visibility is impaired, or you lose traction on ice or wet roads, can all be the difference between life and death and it is vital that new drivers receive it.

I am of the belief that drivers licenses need to be evaluated once the license holder reaches a certain age. Mental reaction, situational awareness, vision, and fine and gross motor control deteriorate as one ages. Although Elderly drivers are less likely to be in an accident caused by drunk driving, and cause fewer accidents than teens, when you consider the context the risk is higher. The majority of elderly drivers drive less kilometers than other age groups, and do not engage in riskier driving environments. So, even though their total statistics for car accidents are lower than other age groups, they drive less and still have significant instances of car accidents. They also have increased instances of certain accidents, such as ones caused by failure to judge a right-of-way, improper merging, and delayed reaction times. Giving up your freedom and mobility can be very difficult, however requiring older adults to undergo an additional eye test and road test in order to renew their license would help to protect the lives of other drivers and pedestrians, and therefore it is a type of discrimination that we have to be willing to implement. The most significant increase in car accidents occurs between the approximate ages of 70 and up. If we were to require these safeguards controls for drivers renewing their licenses after the age of 70, we would be moving in a direction of ensuring that our roads were safe. It could help decrease vehicular deaths.

I am also of the belief that if someone is found guilty of a DUI, even after only one major instance, or two minor ones, their car should be fitted with an ignition interlock device once they regain their license. Locally, I know of someone who had been charged with DUI’s seven separate times. our justice system is more lenient than it pretends to be, and although he doesn’t have his license now, he could have severely injured or killed somebody. There’s no excuse to drink and drive, and so I think that if people are having recurring issues with drinking and driving, they should not be given the ability to do it easily. The less drunk drivers that are on our roads, means less fatalities caused by drunk driving. Realistically, the cost of upkeeping and ignition interlock devices and the social perception of having one shouldn’t follow someone around for the rest of their life. If they’re able to go 5 years without another alcohol-related offense, I think that they should be able to regain a non-restricted license. However, leniency in order to make other people’s lives comfortable poses a threat to the actual lives of innocent people, and that’s unacceptable.

These anti-drunk driving beliefs are not exaggerated for the essay, either. II no longer drive with one of my male family members (unspecified in case of this being published), because he is an alcoholic and never restrains himself from drinking when he also needs to drive. In reality, I don’t think that there was a time that he drove when he was sober, at least not within the last decade. His driving is consistently irresponsible, besides being under the influence, he constantly texts even while going 90 km an hour, and shows blatant disregard for the way his actions may impact other people. If car accidents only impacted yourself, I wouldn’t find distracted or inebriated driving so reprehensible. However, I have lost family members to accidents where one or both parties were under the influence, and it is unacceptable. Recently, a family friend of mine passed away after getting in an accident. He was only 22, and had a history of drunk driving. None of us are sure if this was also the case in the accident that killed him, but even if so, the pain felt by my community is indescribable. His friend was also in the car and survived, and he will carry that survivor’s guilt with him forever.

Before I get behind the wheel, at least once every 3 days, I am cautious to check my vehicle in full. I check my tire pressure, and I do a lap around the yard to ensure that there is nothing noticeably wrong. This is mostly influenced by having grown up with poor quality vehicles that often had mechanical issues, but the vigilance has been the matter of a safe drive and what likely could have been an accident. Doing a general check every 3 days, and a more in-depth check once a week, I have caught flat tires, bent rims, and, most importantly, a nearly destroyed wheel bearing on a vehicle that had been lent to a family member. By catching this problem before I was on the highway, my mechanic said that he thought I avoided my entire wheel potentially coming off and causing a nasty accident.

As someone whose family drives a lot of motorcycles, I am also very conscientious about my driving when I am around bikes, and I have stressed this importance to my friends. I would rather double check my blind spot, or increase my following distance, or even pull off the road and allow a bike to pass me, than I would prefer to see someone injured or killed. I also make it clear to any of my friends and my family that if they were thinking about going out to drink and drive, they can call me and I will be a designated driver, even if it is three or four in the morning. I would much rather the temporary inconvenience than the grief of a preventable loss.