Be the Solution not the Problem Stop Irresponsible Driving

According to a study done at the University of Nebraska, driver’s education has helped significantly to reduce crashes and traffic violations amongst new teen drivers. In this study they followed more than 150,000 teen drivers over an eight-year span. During this study they determined that teen drivers who did not complete driver’s education were 75% more likely to get a traffic ticket and 24% more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident. According to the data collected in this study, teens who have taken driver’s education are less likely to be involved in a collision or get traffic violations during their first 2 years. These two years are essential to their development and should be taken seriously. This data concludes how meaningful driver education is to teens between ages 16 and 18 who have a higher risk for accidents and fatalities. As a result, teens that have taken driver’s education gain the skills to be a safer driver. This is due to professional driving instructors who have over 20 years of experience driving. Instructors are better equipped to help teens as they encounter dangerous situations while in training. These skills that they learn will be implemented as they drive on the road. Driver’s education allows students to ask questions and better understand the rules on the road.

There are several steps I came up with to help reduce car accidents. People need to stop driving while buzzed because any alcohol in the bloodstream can impair your judgment and endanger other’s. It is always best to assign a designated driver for the night or call a car share service. People need to stop allowing themselves to be distracted. This means no texting while driving or answering your phone. If it is an emergency pull to the side of the road. People need to stop speeding. The speed limit is designed to keep everyone safe so abiding by the speed limit will decrease accidents and give the person driving enough time to stop or react to avoid the accident. Driving in the dark fast is even more important because it is harder to see people at night when they are wearing dark clothing. Therefore, making sure your headlights are on and working are essential to keeping you and the pedestrian safe. People need to always use their mirrors and check their surroundings before reversing. It is important that people stop speeding in the parking lots and not using your mirrors when entering and exiting. Parking lots can be busy especially in a plaza area. They are full of people and small children. Driving recklessly in the parking lot can endanger many lives. Not looking before you reverse out of a parking stall can lead to you hitting another car that is reversing, or a person who is walking behind your car. Make sure that the maintenance on your car is up to date. One of the main reasons for car accidents is poor maintenance on their car. If you do not get your brakes checked regularly then when you need them to work for you to avoid a car accident they may not work. Making sure the tires on the car have enough tread or rubber is essential to everyone’s safety. A bald rubber tire makes it harder for the car to stop. Make sure to always rotate your tires and get new tires when needed.

In 2007, I got into a car accident while driving on the freeway that changed my life. My car was totaled, and I was diagnosed with whiplash and soft tissue damage. My doctor prescribed me pain medicine and a neck brace and told me that it would take about sixteen weeks to heal, but I spent those next sixteen weeks in excruciating pain. I had no relief and never found a comfortable position to rest without waking back up in more pain. The pain medicine was useless, and my doctor refused to give me anything stronger. In a twenty-four-hour timeframe, I spent over sixteen hours a day awake riving in pain. Soon I developed insomnia. The loneliness and helplessness made me develop a deep depression and anxiety. I ate when someone would bring me food and I barely got out of bed. I couldn’t tell day from night. Soon I went to chiropractor appointments and physical therapy to help me realign my spine and reduce the inflammation in my body. I also went to speak with a therapist who helped me heal my mind. During this time, I was unemployed and used that money to pay bills. When that wasn’t enough, I use my credit cards to cover the expenses. Soon I maxed out all my credit cards and started falling behind on all my bills. My injury claim had reached its stature of limitation, and I had no money to pay for my lawyer to take my case to court, so I had to settle for a low amount. I thought I had recovered but shortly after I signed the paperwork for my settlement, I started experiencing a lot of nerve pain that I couldn’t get rid of. After seeing numerous doctors and specialists, twelve years after my accident I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and now take medicine to sustain my pain.

Ever since my accident I have taken several steps to become a better and safer driver on the road. I abide by the speeding limit. I make sure I am not tailgating. I make sure to signal in enough time so the driver behind me has enough time to slow down or stop. I make sure I am always using my mirrors to avoid backing into someone or hitting a pedestrian crossing. I keep up with all my maintenance on my car to avoid mechanical failure. I make sure I am not texting or answering my phone while driving. I don’t allow myself to become distracted and make sure to look ahead to see what the traffic is doing in front of me, so I won’t react to late. I make sure not to drink and drive, I assign a designated driver instead, or call a car service. I don’t let my family and friends drink and drive. I am a voice for my community, and I use it to inform people about the dangers of driving irresponsibly. I like to tell them my personal story and the pain I went through to deter people from driving irresponsibly. I want to insist that schools have a mandated driver’s education program designed for teens ages 16 through18. By doing so teens will get the proper training and their risk of accidents within their first two years of driving will decrease.

References

University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Web Developer Network. (n.d.). Study: Driver’s ed significantly reduces teen crashes, tickets. Study: Driver’s ed significantly reduces teen crashes, tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln. https://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver%27s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets.