Driver Education Saves Lives

Driver education is key to reducing the number of deaths due to driving because it educates people on the safety of operating a motor vehicle, encourages people to make smart driving decisions, and showcases why driver safety as a whole can save lives.

Operating any type of motor vehicle comes with a lot of practice and training. This is not something that someone can learn and master overnight which is why people who are learning to drive need to take into account how much time and patience it takes to encompass safe driving skills. For example, a person who is learning to drive needs to be consistent with practicing their skills every day for an extended period and correctly apply the tips and instructions they are given. I feel that some people who are first learning the skill of driving think that it’s easy and they do not need assistance or corrections. This simple naive mistake is what leads people to drive recklessly because they feel they are superior compared to others on the road.

Encouraging people to make smart driving decisions through driver education is key to ensuring that learners know the extent to which their small decisions can make a huge difference. For example, if a driving educator or instructor is not heavily focused on conveying the fact that each decision made on the road can impact the lives of everyone around them, then the student may not take into account the complexity of driving itself. If a person is not stressing making smart moves when driving to the learner they may feel more entitled to not follow road rules.

When new drivers are aware of the fact that one wrong decision while driving can severely impact the lives or end the lives of themselves or others, they will be more willing to be more cautious on the road. The fact that lives can come to an end from car accidents should not be something that is sugar-coated in driver education when that is the reality for many people daily.

One step that can be taken to reduce the number of car accident-related deaths is implementing no phone technology in all makes and models of cars. This technology could be something that connects your phone to your car through Bluetooth which will essentially make it so phones cannot be used while driving. There are similar implementations like this that already exist but I think this should be something that is implemented in almost every car in the near future and should not be optional. This will come with a lot of pros in cons but this would save countless lives. Another step that can be taken could be breathalyzer technology that would also be implemented in all makes and models of cars soon. This again is something that already exists but it is only implemented in certain cases. I do not like the fact that for people to be forced to use this, they would already have to have prior instances of driving with an illegal amount of alcohol in their system. Why not prevent an issue before it starts? I also believe that it would be beneficial if both the written and physical part of driving tests had to be retaken every 5 to 10 years. This would ensure that people are still aware of the driving rules and have to skills to drive safely. It would also give people the chance to brush up on the rules of driver safety and be held accountable if there is a lack of knowledge or skills.

Recently I had a good friend of mine pass due to a drunk driver. On November 7th, 2024, my friend Rylie Saloum was crossing the street in a crosswalk with the right of way. While she was crossing Ali Abas Samator was driving drunk, sped through the red light, and hit her. She passed away on November 10th, 2024 due to her injuries. At the time of this accident, the driver had three prior alcohol-related driving convictions and his license had been suspended since 2016. Although it is nearly impossible to stop someone from getting into a vehicle, it is possible to stop them from being able to drive it if there is a breathalyzer mechanism in the vehicle. If this man had not been able to drive that vehicle that day Rylie’s life would have not been taken from her and from those who loved her.

To make sure that I am being a safe and responsible driver I will never drive with alcohol in my system even if it is within the legal amount. I will also never use my phone while driving. If I need to make or take a call I will pull over to ensure that my full focus is not being taken away from the road and other drivers. I will forever continue to encourage those around me to make these decisions and to also make sure they are fully knowledgeable on every car and road safety precaution and rules. This could be something like wearing a seatbelt and using a blinker to what to do in the instance of an accident and how to avoid unsafe drivers around you.