Safety Starts With Us

According to the averages made available to us by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), roughly 34,000 people lose their lives every year in a car crash. I decided to look up how many of those were within my age group (20’s to mid-30’s), and it seemed to be rather high compared to the other groups. I can only speculate what the reasons behind those stats are but it’s clear that the biggest concern is road safety and driver education.

I look at those statistics and I begin to worry a bit about the times when I have to drive. I don’t want to end up as a number added to that graph, the thought of that happening to me or my family and friends haunts me a little.

Tackling this issue isn’t simple, we must consider the causes of car accidents and fatalities, the people involved, the conditions of the road, the time of day… Frankly, a car crash can happen at any time for a number of reasons. That isn’t meant to be depressing, rather to emphasize caution. It’s always good to know the risks before getting behind the wheel and being more mindful of the rules and regulations which keep us all safe. This is why driver education needs to be a priority.

Why it matters and what we can do

Proper driver education is not only important, but absolutely necessary in preventing car accidents. That may seem obvious, but I feel a decent number of drivers in the U.S. don’t take their driver education all too seriously. For my age group, I can imagine the thrill of the 20’s: partying, driving fast on the highway, freedom to drive around the country… But without taking precautions and education, this will lead to such things as drunk driving and high-speed crashes, both of which are some of the most common causes of death or injury unfortunately.

It’s always seemed to me that encouraging safety while driving was very difficult to do.
“Don’t drink and drive, don’t text while driving, mind the speed-limit, check your blind-spots…”

Trying to get through to people isn’t easy, as we tend to only keep our own perspective in mind concerning those safety reminders. That is to say, if we haven’t experienced a negative outcome from the aforementioned cautions, we won’t be as careful to mind them, because “it’s never happened to us, so it probably won’t.” This type of naivety is especially dangerous. A car accident can happen at any point, we mustn’t take our safety for granted.

Now, that’s not to say everyone is ignorant of the car fatality crisis, but we can’t remain complacent with our current situation. Parents need to take care in instilling the importance of driver safety and proper education to their children, as well as lead by example in their own driving. Friends and family left in charge of driving need to be held accountable before they get in the driver’s seat.

Another concern is the infrastructure of the roads. Sometimes the condition of our highways and roads are not up to par, causing accidents, injuries, and death. I know it’s a common notion from my generation that we don’t understand whether our taxes are being properly used to fix issues like road repair and such. It seems the government doesn’t put as much effort into infrastructure as they do other things. At least, that’s my experience, coming from the Midwest. This is why it’s important to vote for representatives who are concerned about these problems, and hope that they keep true to their promises.

How my own experience shapes how I drive

I have thankfully never been responsible for a car accident of any kind, but I have been on the receiving end. A few scrapes and bumps here or there, but nothing too serious. The only time I was a bit scared was when I was younger.

I don’t remember much from that night. It was the late evening, we had just finished eating out at a diner, and I believe it was raining heavily. I can recall the red glare of the traffic light up ahead, and a couple of cars lined up waiting to continue on. After that, my memory is a bit foggy, as this happened roughly 20 years ago. I remember a slight bump from behind and being jolted forward, but after that all I remember is the police officer that pulled up, the broken bumper, and the other family who crashed into us also nearby on the sidewalk. Everyone was lucky to only come out of the scrape with just a few dents in the cars, though I’m sure my dad was a bit peeved. I believe that was the first and only time I also got to ride in a police car, as the officer drove us home.

I was probably too young to understand what all had happened back then. Even to this day I’m not sure what led up to the collision, but I can imagine there was some lack of concentration involved, not to mention the wet conditions of the road and how the rain might have obscured the driver’s vision slightly.

As for when I drive, I’m always a little paranoid. Back when I was a young teen, the thought of driving terrified me. I’d get nightmares of not being able to properly control my car, somehow ending up in the passenger seat or losing friction on the street.

I always make sure I’m properly strapped in, mind my turns, check my mirrors, and never have my phone out while driving. I could be categorized as extra-cautious, but hey, at least it keeps me and others safe, and decreases the chance of accidents or fatalities. As for when friends or family drive, I will point out things like people behind or in front of us, make sure no cars are coming when turning, reminding them about seatbelts, and so on. I also refuse to drive anywhere if the designated driver isn’t completely sober and awake.

If I had to think of ways I could be safer while driving, I’d say I need to relax more, which may seem contradictory, but being tense the entire time can also lead to mistakes, and I need to find a good balance of caution and confidence, so that any drive ends up smooth and safe. As for friends and family, I need to be more aware of the road while in the passenger seat (when needed) and also hold them accountable for having their phones out while driving. Better to tell them to put it down rather than have to suffer something far worse later on.

In conclusion

This isn’t something that we can take lightly, nor be inactive in dealing with and preventing. We the people need to do better. I myself plan to heed my own advice, make sure I am proactive in reminding others close to me about safety and risks, and follow the rules and guidelines of driver education. If the majority of America could hold themselves, their friends, and their family accountable, I imagine we’d see far fewer fatalities per year.