Cutting the Casualties

Cutting the Casualties

A discussion on the importance of driver education and responsibility

Ian Rybak | 10/19/2020

Driving is a tool. A driver uses a vehicle to transport cargo from one place to another in a fast manner. A car can travel large distances and takes a considerably smaller physical toll on the driver compared to other forms of transportation. Driving has connected cities and people from far away and contributes to a large portion of the economy. In 2017, transport by truck accounted for $721 billion dollars and 63.3 percent of freight. (US Bureau of Transportation Statistic)

As with any tool, a saw, power drill, or angle grinder for example, proper understanding of the use and dangers of the tool is vital to the safety of the user and others. Improper use of the tool or simple ignorance can cause life-changing or life-ending events. Driving is an exception, if only in the way that it can spread its effect further and with even a deadly chain of events. Unlike a power drill which could inure or kill the user, an unsafe driver can send their massive metal box careening into another person or vehicle, leading to tragic collateral loss.

Therefore, proper driver education is essential to everyone. An understanding and an appreciation for the dangers and proper safety protocols of operating a vehicle is the strongest method to encourage and develop good practices for driving. Proper operation, though never foolproof, is a proactive way to prevent death and injury on the road.

However, simply explaining what to do in a situation will not always suffice. A driving environment constantly changes, with new drivers, vehicles, roads, and weather conditions moment to moment. These situations can be unpredictable and new, especially to unseasoned drivers. For these reasons, an education and training program for drivers that explains the why and the reasons for operating and caring for vehicles in a certain way would likely prove more effective at reducing the death toll of driving.

This is how I was taught by my parents. Sitting in the passenger seat, I would observe their actions, and they would explain their reasoning. “I’m staying far behind this semi because I become invisible to him if I get closer.” “Even if there are no puddles, your tires are wet in rain and have less traction. Drive slower.” They taught me to be present and think from an outside perspective. Is what I am doing predictable and reasonable? Are my actions endangering myself or others? Should I change the way I am driving to cause the least damage if something beyond my control goes wrong.

No one is immune to the dangers of driving, so all need to be aware of the impact of their choices. Friends of mine choose to drive fast, simply because they believe themselves to have control of their vehicle. They swerve between traffic to get ahead, believing themselves to know what to expect around the next turn on the freeway. Almost everyone I have been in a car with takes for granted that the lights at an intersection are followed by all drivers.

But this is not the case. Drivers cannot take the chance that the environment around them will be predictable. They cannot take the chance that the tool will always operate the way it is supposed to. We cannot know what is around the next turn or over a hill. What we can know is how we will respond. To make the choice to stay calm and be aware of how the environment changes, and how our actions affect it is an important one that can only be made through experience and education.

Since driving is such a vital tool to our nation and the world, the choice to be knowledgeable on driving safety and emergency responses to a changing environment is one that should be obvious. As drivers, we must choose to follow laws and regulations regarding driving protocols. Communicating to others the importance of our choice and the importance of them making the same can develop a larger community of safe drivers. In summary: awareness, adaptability, practice, and communication are steps that all drivers, both current and future, can make the choice to use to reduce the number of deaths related to driving.

Source:

US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. (2018, March 16). North American Transborder Freight Data. Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.bts.gov/newsroom/2017-north-american-freight-numbers