Experience is Everything

Guns, bombs, cars, disease, or war? Which one of these is the leading yearly cause of US casualties? Take a moment and think it over. Have your answer? If you thought of war being the leading cause, you would be wrong. On average about 34,000 US citizens die in car related accidents yearly. That is more than the total casualties of the Iraq and Afghanistan war combined. But Why? Why have so many lives been lost to a commodity that is so widespread in today’s society? The reason is simply experience.

Driver’s education is the single most important factor in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving. This is because the leading factor in vehicle fatalities is lack of driving experience and education. According to the CDC, the age demographic that is most likely to be involved in car crashes are those aged 16-19. Why you may ask? Inexperience. Young drivers simply have not had enough driving experience to make good decisions while on the road. The driver is also not the single most important reason for fatalities, passengers in the car are also a factor in who is more likely to die. Studies by the CDC show that teens are more likely to get into a car crash when there are other teens or young adults present in the vehicle. In 2020 more than 50% of teen deaths related to car crashes were by another teen behind the wheel IIHS. The numbers tell us that experience and education is extremely important when it comes to safety on the road.

But experience and education would mean nothing without proper responsibility. Half of teen fatalities in car crashes were those who were not wearing their seat belt. Even habits as simple as buckling up can save lives. The only way to reduce deaths on the road is to teach the younger generations responsibility. Parents are the key to helping reduce car related tragedies. They can help their children make more informed and responsible decisions. The leading causes in teen deaths on the road are reckless speeding, substance abuse before driving, not wearing seatbelts, and inexperience. Parents can save lives by being present with their teen while they drive until they are ready on their own. They can also prepare them to make better safety habits before driving as well.

I have personally been affected by driving accidents in my life, and in the lives of people that I know. My mother has been in a car crash. While she was stopped at a red light the car behind her had crashed into the rear end of her vehicle. The car was ruined, and worst of all she was hurt. She needed physical therapy for the pain in her back because of the impact from the other car. Not only that, but now we needed to find a new car to get around with. The only other vehicle we owned was my dads work truck, so we had to find other ways for transportation. While this instance did not involve a teen, all the same lessons still apply. In the future, when I do get my license, I will buckle up every time, and have my parents by my side to help me keep myself, and everyone around me safe. My parents have already been very adamant of the danger and the immense responsibility that you have when you start the engine. They are especially sure that I know the danger because of the way people drive in the high desert, where I live. They are fearful of those that go 60 on residential roads, as am I. I will always be sure to abide by the laws that have been made to keep drivers safe all across the country, paying attention to signs, using my blinkers, going the speed limit, paying attention to traffic and traffic lights. I will do all these things, to ensure my own safety, and the safety of everyone around me. Ways I can help others be safe on the road is to stress the importance of safety to them. To my family, friends, and even strangers, doing things like asking them to drive safely, or just to buckle up if I am in the car with them can be the difference between life and death. I would urge them to be conscious of these things because their safety matters to me too, so of course I would want them to make educated driving decisions.

Driving is, in my opinion, still a concept that many do not understand. They do not understand the privilege and the risk that comes with using an automobile. My father has always told me that cars are one of the most dangerous things in this modern world. He describes them as 4,000 pound masses of steel barreling down the road, and when he puts it like that, he makes me realize the reality of driving. You entrust your life with the competence of others, and they do the same with you. Since we all as humans have grown up with the concept of driving, I feel that we have lost touch with the reality of driving, how it is dangerous and a privilege. I hope that moving forward, we will all work to make our streets safer to drive on together, by being better educated drivers.