Doctors and Driving: Saving Lives

No doctor is allowed to perform operations before thorough and intense schooling and tests because people’s lives are at stake. The same can be said for driving, but why can driver’s education be optional at certain ages? While one could argue that driving may be common sense, to a degree, is allowing the benefit of the doubt that drivers will have that common sense risking lives? Simply and easily said, the answer is no. Increasing safety on the roads falls on the responsibility of governments to increase regulation on drivers’ education as well as on individuals’ conscious efforts.

National boards determine certifications and accredited programs for doctors to receive their medical degrees to ensure quality medical providers. Each state requires doctors to be certified before they can operate and practice within that state. But as for driving, there’s little federal regulation that ensures the same education requirements are met from state to state, and rules for obtaining a permit and license drastically differ depending on the state issuing them. Some allow for teenagers to obtain a permit at 15 years and 6 months and test for their license at age 16. Others won’t allow you to get your permit until age 16 and require certain driving hours and lessons, and can test no sooner than 16 years and 6 months. Some states stop requiring drivers education classes entirely once an individual is 18.

While it would be unreasonable for drivers to obtain a license for every state they may drive in, and unnecessary due to the full faith and credit clause, it’s not unreasonable to expect that every driver on the road has obtained the same education no matter where they received their license when the proper legislation has been made. Currently, the laws on drivers’ education are determined by states because of the federalist government in the United States. One could argue that it would be against the constitution for the federal government to step in and mandate certain requirements; the argument can be invalidated in a few ways. Drivers are more than capable of driving across state lines, subjecting the regulation of driving to the laws of interstate commerce. Driving on federally funded highways is not prohibited to specific drivers but instead accessible to all, making it possible that the federal government stops providing funds to maintain these highways unless certain legislation is created in all states. Similar to how the power of the purse was used when the drinking age was raised to 21 in 1984. Regulating the obtaining of a license across the nation to ensure the same standard of education is a possible solution to increase the safety of drivers on the road and mitigate the annual losses from unsafe driving.

Doctors may compromise the quality and safety of their treatment by overlooking little habits, such as not washing their hands the correct way or improperly sanitizing tools. While these little things may seem in some situations appropriate to dismiss, they can significantly impact the doctor’s practice, and doctors know not to take this risk. While placing the pressure on governments to create legislation that increases the education of drivers on the road, it’s ultimately still an individual’s responsibility to keep roads safe with their own driving. Parents, too, can help prevent deaths from unsafe driving by placing the safety of their child and others above and before the convenience of having their child be able to drive themselves. Allowing drivers to have their license before they can truly understand the seriousness of the little habits they may develop that compromise the safety of their driving increases the risk of deaths from car accidents. These habits may be speeding, entering an intersection without checking opposite directions, using their phone, being distracted by other passengers, or changing lanes without properly checking their surroundings. To help drivers understand and make the conscious decision to make safe choices, more severe consequences could be given as a result of violating such laws.

As a child of parents who are both driving daily in their careers, I’ve always been encouraged and taught to be a safe driver. I can’t pretend I’m always making the safest choices; I definitely also have room to improve. But I’m grateful that my parents have been able to provide more advice and tips to be a safer driver. My dad has particularly encouraged me to anticipate problems, especially when they may result from the driving of other vehicles. Such things as merging onto highways, giving distance between the car in front of me and my own vehicle, taking unprotected left turns, and being around fast, reckless drivers. I make sure to thoroughly check my surroundings and use my blinker before switching lanes in any situation. And I always allow space between me and dangerous drivers, and when possible I get out of their way. I try my best to be aware of the condition of the roads and how to adjust my speed or choose where to drive appropriately, and if it’s too unsafe to drive, then I don’t go on the roads.

Just as doctors make intentional efforts to provide safe care and understand the trust their patients have in them, drivers can also make more deliberate choices to take care of those around them with their driving. Driving is a privilege given to those who have displayed that they can be trusted to be a safe driver because the lives of others are in your hands when you’re behind the wheel.