What can more can be done to avoid accidents?

It was a few months before I was born. My grandmother woke up in her car and it was upside down. She could not move. A construction worker had directed her though traffic when she had been hit. He hadn’t paid attention to oncoming traffic and my grandmother blindly trusted him to lead her safely though. She had fractures in her spine. She spent weeks in the hospital and went through years of surgeries. She came to see me in a wheelchair when I was born. I am so thankful that she is still here, but every day she has intense pain. They never caught the driver and the construction company denied managing traffic. The insurance company was terrible, only allowing medications, doctors, therapy and surgeries that were “approved” through them. The “approvals” were bare minimum. She could no longer work to support herself. She was only 50 years old.

The amount of accidents and deaths due to traffic accidents is horrifying. Distraction and driving under the influence is on the rise. I see people on their phones or swaying on the road most times that I drive. I have to really pay attention to, not only what I am doing, but to what others are. One of the ways we can help decrease the number of accidents and deaths would be to hold each person who caused the accident accountable. I don’t think people fear the consequence of their dangerous actions. Those with DUIs need to be prosecuted and go through classes to learn the dangers. Maybe taking special drivers education classes at a higher price might be helpful. Distracted, drunk and drugged driving needs to have huge consequences.

I was not able to start drivers training at the normal time due to Covid. It did give me more time to mature. When I finally went, I was almost 18. I took the Segment 1 class alongside my sixteen year old brother. I wasn’t too happy about that part. We had to meet in the classroom for quite a while before they ever let us out on the road. There was practical training and education about all sorts of things. I could not wait to get behind the wheel! Thankfully, my instructor understood the mind of a very excited teenage driver. He took his time with me and taught me many skills that I would need. I had already turned 18 by the time I was eligible to take Segment 2 of the program. I could have gotten my driver’s license without this part, due to my age. My parents would not allow this. They insisted I get as much instruction and practice as possible, even if it cost more money. To avoid deadly accidents, everyone, no matter what age should be required to take and complete drivers training.

As I previously stated, a way that we can reduce accidents is more education and practice. My parents signed my brother and me up for a defensive driving course with a non-profit. Their mission is to prevent injuries and save lives by training and educating teens and about responsible and safe driving. Sadly, this non-profit was started because the founder lost both of his teenage sons in a terrible accident. A parent must accompany their child to this class. It is a hands-on type of program. They put us in situations where we would have to perform under pressure. In one instance they let us drive a car with bald tires with a one second reaction time. They taught us how to drive on rocks, if we found ourselves going off the road. It was quite intense. Traditional driver’s education classes are necessary great, but his went beyond. They focused on driving situations that cause many of the accident, taught us skills and finally put us in those situations (in a controlled environment) so we could practice what we learned. I believe this class should be a requirement for all teenagers learning to drive. I have been driving a short time, but have used many of these techniques. .

With technology so far advanced, we should be taking advantage driving simulators. There are video games that use a wheel, brake and gas pedal that feel very realistic! Pilots in training do this, why not have new drivers do it? Fundamentals are learned and tried with zero risk! One can study how an automobile would behave in realistic scenarios such as a sliding on ice. It can help with reaction time. From personal experience in the snow, I had a moment where I lost control in which I instinctively straightened out using counter steering I practiced in the game! If a new driver plays it enough, it can reach a point where it may get into the subconscious and aid in real world situations that may panic an unexperienced driver! If a crash occurs during the game, nobody gets hurt. Why not practice until it’s second nature? It sounds weird, but it has helped me tremendously in learning to drive dangerous situations! There are games, like Assetto Corsa and BeamNG Drive which simulate driving in the mud, dirt, fog and snow. In the age where everyone plays video games and they are so realistic, why not put a person in front of a driving mod and not permit a license until certain level is achieved?

There are many contributions as to why accidents happen. Unfortunately, they cannot always be avoided. We should look at what can be controlled. Situations such as distractions, use of drugs and alcohol and inexperience are things we can have some control over. Tougher laws and deeper education are needed for those who cause the accident. There is no excuse for a licensed driver to go out and not have skills needed in deadly situations. We have more ways to teach new drivers how to behave. People’s lives are at risk. There is nothing more important to preserving lives. Let’s use what we have to make this a priority. Thank you for taking time to read my essay.