A Journey of Responsibility

Driving is not just a means of transport; it’s an act whose immediate effect reaches the safety of all road users. Rushing to drive through states in foreign countries or to the nearby store in a rush, the responsibility of driving lies squarely on driver’s shoulders. The responsibility of driver’s education in eliminating driving disasters cannot be overemphasized, and in this day and age of high technology, the call is more urgent than ever. With rigorous education, rigorous practice, and deep sense of responsibility, it’s in our capability to lower the price of death by driving and impart a defensive culture to the road culture that protects us.

Defensive driving begins in driver’s education. Driver’s education is not necessarily learning how to drive a car, but learning how to respond to the unexpected, learning how to drive around other traffic, and learning how to break up bad driving habits. Driver’s education classes actually instruct very good skills—skills to be able to safely drive on the road with other drivers. Beyond the technical facts, however, the most beneficial aspect of driver’s education is learning to be responsible and pay attention.

I remember from my own teenage driving days just how easy it is to feel like you’re invincible behind the wheel. But the statistics paint a different picture: teen drivers are among the most likely to be killed in a crash. Car crashes are the number one cause of teen death, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, and teen drivers are more likely to be involved in dangerous behavior on the road, such as speeding or driving under the influence. Which is why driver’s education courses must teach more than technical driving – they must teach defensive driving skills and the dangers of poor choices.

Driver’s ed teaches us to be defensive drivers and how to be prepared for danger. Above all, driver’s ed teaches us that our driving decision can impact a person’s life directly. Whether the driver is or isn’t wearing a seatbelt, texting and driving, or speeding over a limit, every driving decision has a possible life-altering effect. Well-trained driver’s education classes teach us that safe driving isn’t just a law but respect for other people’s lives and that road actions do have consequences. Driver’s education is definitely in line, but it is only one part of the solution to restricting traffic fatalities. In order to continue reducing the rate of fatality through driving, we must be multi-faceted in our response. There are a number of things we can do, each supporting the foundation laid by education and each aimed at a differing component of road safety.

Most importantly, stringent law and enforcement of traffic law can cut down drastically the number of reckless drivers on the road. Speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving, and seatbelt law must be enforced stringently and ruthlessly. Once the culprits are severely punished, the others take a warning. Public campaigns also play an important role in reminding the drivers of the dangers of reckless behavior. By constantly reminding the people of the dangers of drunk or distracted driving, we can alter the cultural ethos of such a practice as not mere lapses of bad judgment but fatal dangers that kill.

Second, auto tech is the big game-changer. Automobiles today have automatic emergency braking, lane drift warning, and collision mitigation systems—all of which ensure that accidents don’t happen. To have those as a standard feature on all vehicles, and not just on higher-priced ones, is the ticket to save lives and avoid injuries. Even as the technologies advance, most crucial that they also teach people to employ them in correct technique, instead of in dependency on them.

Third, sensitization programs to the public must be amplified to cover all drivers, regardless of age. Driver’s education is not a privilege of a young driver but must be ongoing. Public service announcements of the risks of texting and driving, wearing seatbelts, and the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs must be broadcasted to the public, the message of road safety being everyone’s responsibility. Finally but not last, introduction or enactment of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs can continue to protect young drivers. GDL programs permit new drivers to develop driving skills under less dangerous conditions before granting them full driving privileges. Research has demonstrated GDL programs to be highly effective in crash and teen driver fatality prevention. I have first-hand knowledge of the kind of harm reckless driving can cause. My friend, through lack of patience, made a choice to drive through a red light. The result was a crash that left him severely hurt and his passenger critically hurt. The accident had a profound effect on me, not only because of the loss in terms of physical harm but also because of the effect that it had on all of us emotionally. Having seen the result of reckless driving with my very own eyes, I was made to realize just how vital it is for all drivers to understand the risks to which they put themselves every single time that they make a choice to drive recklessly. I do not have one iota of doubt in my mind that if my friend was better informed about the ultimate outcome of his decision, that accident never would have happened. Driving down the highway, I see how important it is to be a defensive as well as responsible driver. I always make sure that I know what is going on around me, never text or use my phone while driving, and never drive after drinking. I also make sure that I remind my friends and loved ones about the dangers of irresponsible driving. By informing them of the dangers and encouraging defensive driving, I feel that I can make other people responsible while driving. Second, I am going to encourage defensive driving in my neighborhood, particularly to young drivers. Either in groups or individually, I hope to be able to make a difference in how important driver education is to saving lives. As a future leader, I am going to make my fellow students understand that the road is not a stage of irresponsibility—it is a public road where all drivers owe it to themselves to make other drivers safe. Finally, safer roads are everyone’s business. Driving education is a part of road fatalities, but it must be part of a comprehensive system that involves legislation, technology, education, and responsibility. We must be held responsible for each of our driving choices, since the impact of a bad choice will echo through families and communities. By holding ourselves accountable to brighter driving, we are able to provide future generations the freedom to use the road without threats of unnecessary tragedy.