Increasing Safety on the Road

Increasing Safety on the Road

Completing a driver’s education course prior to obtaining one’s license will help teenagers develop rudimentary vehicle control and traffic maneuvers. It teaches students how to safely operate a vehicle on busy interstates, at night, and during other dangerous driving circumstances. In addition to practicing driving, teenagers learn about various traffic signals and markings on the roadway. In this way, new drivers will be more alert while driving, know how maneuver the car in a given situation, be it jam, the highway or at night.

New drivers are educated on the laws that govern driving, and punishments which are associated with breaking them, as well as the etiquette that concerns it. This reduces on the number of cases where you find people texting while driving (which is so far one of the leading causes of deaths as a result of driving). People in this way cease to drive carelessly, lest they suffer punishment, if not serious injuries and death. In the long run, the number of deaths as a result of is reduced, since the number of careless accidents is toned down.

There are a few easy steps that can be taken by drivers themselves to reduce the number of accidents caused while driving. By avoiding these few behaviors that disrupt driving, the number of accidents can be reduced. I have come up with an acronym, SADS to make them easy to remember. This first of all is easy to remember because its effects make you sad. S stands for Speed. We should respect the speed limits put in place because they help control your speed, which in turn reduces the amount of time it takes for you to react to changes in the road or traffic flow, hence making it easier for you to stop your vehicle if needed. A stands for Alcohol. Alcohol should be avoided while driving because it causes drowsiness, impaired vision, reduced reaction times, reduced concentration, drowsiness(which may cause you to fall asleep at the wheel) and difficulty in understanding sensory information. In such a state, one is more prone to causing an accident. D stands for Distractions. Texting while driving, being on phone calls while driving, holding useless conversations tends to divide a drivers mind, hence confusing him or her. This means that he or she is most likely to make a decision when they aren’t using 100% of their thinking capability, chances of colliding into another vehicle are high, hence more deaths. The last S stands for Sleep. The last thing you would want to do is to sleep while driving. A person who sleeps while driving is worse than a drunkard, as he or she cannot react to anything on the road hence making it easy for the occurrence of an accident. An oft-cited statistic in traffic safety is that as many as 90% of road deaths are due at least in part to driver error or misbehavior (such as driving too fast for conditions or driving while drunk or distracted).

In case of failure of the people to control themselves, the authorities responsible can step in to help, by putting in place heave penalties for violating road rules. Traffic laws really do make a difference, basing on data compiled by the Auto Insurance Center, which shows just how influential these regulations can be. Across the board, states with tougher driving laws see fewer motorists die on their roadways. Looking at speed limits, teen driving restrictions and seat belt laws, there’s a direct relationship between tougher, well-enforced laws and fewer deaths. That’s no accident, traffic safety advocates say.

Another way of reducing the number of deaths related to driving is by urging the public to resort to anti-crash technologies in their vehicles like Electronic stability control, Automatic emergency braking (AEB), Lane departure warning and prevention, Blind spot warning, et cetera. These technologies help the driver by controlling the car in such a way that prevents the driver from landing into trouble. For example, Electronic stability control improves a vehicle’s stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction (skidding). When ESC detects loss of steering control, it automatically applies the brakes to help steer the vehicle where the driver intends to go. This is just one of the many technologies that has been put in place to ensure that driving is safer on the road. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2004 and 2006 respectively, one-third of fatal accidents could be prevented by the use of the technology. ESC has been mandatory in new cars in Canada, the US, and the European Union since 2011, 2012, and 2014, respectively. (Wikipedia, 2019)

I have never had an experience of being in car accident or seen my friends or family members driving irresponsibly. This is because many of them take caution to follow road rules because they first of all value lives and want to be in good terms with the law.

The steps I can take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road are simple. Spread awareness about the dangers of driving irresponsibly, I myself should drive carefully and carefully follow the rules.

References:

Congressional Research Service, . (2019, July 12). Federal Highway Traffic Safety Policies: Impacts and Opportunities. Retrieved November 20, 2020, from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44394.pdf

Bubbers, M. (2017, October 15). Five vehicle safety technologies that can help you avoid a crash. Retrieved November 20, 2020, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/technology/five-vehicle-safety-technologies-that-can-help-you-avoid-a-crash/article36533631/

Jones & Swanson Staff, (2013, August 2). Importance of Drivers Education. Retrieved November 20, 2020, from https://www.awjlaw.com/marietta-personal-injury-blog/2013/august/importance-of-drivers-education/

Wikipedia, (2019, April). Electronic stability control. Retrieved November 20, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_stability_control