Our Responsibility on the Road

Sam Gehl

Our Responsibility On the Road

It is a startling fact that driving is statistically more dangerous than entering a combat environment. There are several underlying reasons for this grim reality that the drivers of today must face. These range from a lack of education, distractions on the road, and weather conditions. There are multiple factors into training a good driver. We must not only teach the basic rules of the road. But, we must also make sure that drivers understand how to handle weather conditions and they truly understand the consequences of distracted driving.

Driver education is mandatory in the state of Colorado where I live if you want to get your license under the age of 18. It is the precursor to obtaining a learning permit at the age of 15. I think that this is a beneficial strategy but it is not comprehensive enough. The training in the classroom takes four days but it is a very loose type of teaching. There is not an exam until the very end and it is not pertaining to any distracted driving and very little weather conditions. The basic rules of the road are of course the most important things to know. The classroom studies conducted now are very beneficial. According to newroom.com,” Young drivers who have not completed driver’s education are 75 percent more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident and 16 percent more likely to have an accident.” However, we need to place more emphasis upon learning how to handle weather conditions especially in a state like Colorado.

Our weather here is unpredictable and I am sure that there are other states that have weather like ours. There should be mandatory training on sliding and counter steering. I have had one situation where I hydro planed on the highway and knew how to counter steer because my dad taught me. If I did not know what to do, I might not have walked away from that situation unharmed. I know a friend who got in a car crash as a result of texting and driving. He was ok but he had huge expenses for repairs to his car. I’m sure that his insurance premiums went up as well. Maybe, we should also emphasize the monetary penalties to irresponsible driving as well as the physical. It would appear to me that a lot of young people think more about their money than they do about their lives.

Road conditions also play a part in the general safety of people on the road. It is important that the roads are well maintained and not just in inclement weather. Here in Colorado, we have a very big problem with potholes. As a result of the cold weather freezing the roads and then heating up we usually have to constantly swerve around these gaping pits. This is not safe for us nor the other people utilizing the road. These holes can mess up alignment and even pop tires at high speed. That poses an even bigger risk to the general population. Because, not only are you in danger but you also run the risk of hitting someone else. When we see problems with road quality like potholes, we need to report them and there need to be a quick response. We must hold our cities accountable for repairs to the road.

Finally, the rest of the solution to road safety comes down to us the individuals. We must take responsibility not only for our lives, but for the lives of others around us. Our actions don’t only affect us but they also can affect entire families. Taking responsibility means not driving distracted and doing our best to drive safety. For me personally this means putting my phone away while I am driving. It also means knowing how to drive in different weather conditions. For instance, if it is raining maybe I shouldn’t drive as fast. If it is snowing again maybe I don’t drive as fast and pay extra attention for stuff in the road. If we all make an effort on improving road safety, imagine the impact that we would have. A family might not lose their son in a fatal crash. A single mother will not have to struggle with the dilemma of how to pay for her car repairs. When we look at the world as a society with other people with feelings in it, great things can happen.

Works cited: https://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver%27s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets#:~:text=Young%20drivers%20who%20have%20not,an%20accident%2C%20the%20study%20showed.