Eliminating Incidental Possibilities

Eliminating
Incidental Possibilities

Familiar
experiences and comfort are two woes that create the deadly mindset
of complacency and arrogance, which ultimately leads to accidents.
There are already many dangers of the road; by adding uneducated and
unsafe drivers, the chances for casualties multiply exponentially.
Unsafe driving is a tragedy by itself and it may take many distinct
forms, whether it’s driving under the influence, distracted
driving, or even ignorance of the rules of the road. This kind of
tragedy can be reduced by educating drivers on the hazards of
reckless driving and how calamitous accidents impact yourself, the
people around you, as well as the family and friends of everyone
involved. I don’t believe stricter enforcement will help reduce
numbers of accidents, because not all people aren’t driven on
consequence, but rather understanding. Bringing to light how
important it is to drive safely will reduce accidents, ultimately
saving someone’s life.

I
recommend a two pronged approach towards helping drivers reduce
accidents on the road. First, we should take more time to educate new
drivers. Today many drivers today rely on GPS to take then from point
“a” to point “b” and don’t truly understand the road. In
some cases, GPS may not accurately reflect the road conditions.
Additionally, peak, off-peak, fair weather and inclimate weather
driving, all present unique situations. With more education and
experience behind the wheel, drivers will not be as reliant on
potentially faulty technology and will be able to handle themselves
in different climates. The second prong in this approach is, trying
to connect with them and help them realize the repercussions that
dangerous driving could have on people. Sharing personal stories or
even statistics would be an effect method to reduce naivety by
helping drivers realize the importance of staying safe while
driving. According to drivingtest.org,
about
1.3 million deaths a year are from automobile accidents with another
50 million people receiving injuries due to accidents. Out of these
statistics, over 30% of crashes are caused due to impaired driving.
Distracted driving raises the probability of an accident, rising up
to 23 times, with over 300,000 crashes due to distracted driving.
Furthermore most victims of accidents are between the ages of 15 and
44, displaying how fundamental educating young and inexperienced
drivers really is.

I have
been in a car with family members or friends who have driven
irresponsibly, but I also trust them enough that they won’t allow
anything to happen to me, themselves, or others in the car. Speeding,
using their phone, and excited driving are all different experiences
that I have witnessed while being a passenger. As a new driver
myself, I strongly discourage distracted driving and also driving
under the influence because I have taken an understanding on how
dangerous they can all be. Personally, I have taken a pledge to put
my phone on silent, turn the radio off, and assess my mental and
physical state for tiredness before driving. I stay as attentive as
possible and I follow all of the rules of the road “to a T”. I
want to be as safe as possible because I know that I am responsible
for the automobile and the wellness of the passengers I’m carrying.
As a word of advice, I recommend drivers think about how an accident
my affect yourself and the life of others, then consider if
distracted driving is really worth it? Finally, I’ll answer that
question for you–it’s not.