Jungle.

“God is in control” is the message on the stickers pasted on almost every mode of public transportation where I come from. The irony of this situation is that most of these vehicles either have no working brakes or none at all. That’s the reality of my home country. I come from a heavily religious nation where most people believe in the existence of a supernatural being in one way or another. This is why you hear things like “Jesus, take the wheel” from a bus driver who drives like he has nine lives or see stickers that say “Fear God” on the back of a bus driven by someone who seems to have no regard for God, man, life, or death.

The only road accident I’ve ever been in was a slight collision with another vehicle. That happened when I was much younger, and I was too young to understand the rules of driving, so I couldn’t tell the cause of the accident. However, my mum, on the other hand, has been in a motorcycle collision that kept her out of work for quite some time. You see, my mum works at a seaport company, and at that time, her job required her to be on the road, either directing traffic or managing many of those shipping containers. Because of that, she often told my dad stories of road accidents caused by careless drivers, and I almost always happened to hear them. These stories were of accidents that happened almost every other day and took at least one life.

Growing up in this kind of driving environment gave me a phobia of driving. I remember the many times when my dad drove me and my siblings back to boarding school after term break in our Infiniti QX4, and we would be right beside a large, shaky truck carrying a shipping container on a pothole-filled road in a traffic jam. This was the baseline. Whenever we were returning to school after a break, it was expected that we would spend at least two hours on the road, surrounded by flat-bed trucks carrying shipping containers, lumber, or even animals like goats or cows. The lumber situation always freaked me out because of the movie Final Destination. Needless to say, I learned the concept of defensive driving very early in life. With the road situation, you never know whose brakes are not functioning or who is driving under the influence.You get into public buses and realize they have to connect two exposed wires to start a vehicle that could stop right in the middle of the road. Flat-bed trucks carrying shipping containers speed and try to overtake cars like they’re in some kind of Fast and Furious competition. Vehicles take the wrong lanes, obstructing the flow of traffic, and drivers honk and swear at each other. It’s like a jungle. With maturity and the humor of Korean dramas’ White Truck of Doom trope, my phobia started to improve.

I moved to Canada for my education almost two years ago, and things were a bit different in terms of traffic flow and the state of the roads. Then, I started seeing news stories about driving schools being paid to issue certificates without students attending. I’ve almost been run over for no reason, and I’ve seen reports of school bus and transit bus drivers driving under the influence of alcohol. There have been incidents of kids getting hit while coming out of school buses, as well as hit-and-runs. This made me realise that even with the difference in driving patterns and infrastructure between Canada and my home country, traffic accidents were still prevalent and could happen anywhere, regardless of where you are. It made me more aware of the universal need for safe driving practices.

Theoretically, driver education plays a critical role in reducing crashes by promoting awareness, teaching safe driving practices, and encouraging responsible driving behavior. Educated drivers are more likely to avoid dangerous behaviors, which in turn lowers the risk of accidents on the road. Of course, the effectiveness of driver education depends on several factors, such as the age at which it is introduced and the stage at which the education occurs. However, just because these things are taught doesn’t mean they are always followed.

To address this, the most practical step that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is implementing stricter and more stringent consequences for breaking laws on seatbelt use, speeding, and DUI offenses. A fine of a few hundred dollars for impaired driving doesn’t suffice in a situation that could potentially harm or take the lives of people. Additionally, laws requiring seat belt use should be made more stringent for the safety of all drivers and passengers. According to the 2022 Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics from Transport Canada, there was a small decrease in the percentage of passengers killed while not wearing seatbelts, but the percentage of unbelted drivers killed slightly increased. However, the number of both drivers and passengers seriously injured without seatbelts went down. For example, 17.2% of passengers with serious injuries weren’t wearing seatbelts, compared to 21.3% in 2021, showing a 19% decrease. This highlights the importance of enforcing seat belt laws. In my home country, more consistent enforcement is needed, especially for seatbelt use and speeding. Additionally, regular vehicle inspections should be mandated to ensure that both public transportation and private vehicles meet safety standards. Awareness campaigns on the dangers of distracted driving and reckless behavior, along with better road infrastructure and signage, would also help reduce accidents. The use of technology, like advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), can significantly prevent accidents. Encouraging safer vehicle designs, supporting improvements in emergency response, and collecting traffic data to adjust policies can further reduce fatalities. Overall, a combination of education, enforcement, safer vehicles, and technology can have a significant impact on road safety.

To be a better and safer driver, I always wear my seatbelt, avoid distractions, and stay focused on the road. I obey speed limits, traffic signs, and signals. I practice defensive driving by keeping a safe distance from other vehicles and staying aware of my surroundings. I always remember that driving affects not just myself but others as well. Additionally, I speak up when I notice people I know, or others in general, engaging in unsafe driving practices. I also avoid driving in weather conditions that I’m unsure I can handle. Finally, if for any reason I feel unfit to drive—whether due to tiredness after a practicum shift, a headache, mental unfitness, or even slight intoxication—I do not drive, because lives depend on the way I drive.