The Power Behind the Wheel

I don’t know about you but hearing that more people have died in one year because of driving, than the total number of American soldiers who have died from war in Iraq and Afghanistan combined was quite shocking to me. What’s also surprising is the fact that a lot of these fatal accidents are a result of uneducated drivers. Therefore, to reduce this number of deaths, driver education should be taken much more seriously. Innocent lives should not be lost at the hands of someone else’s ignorance. Not only do drivers need to be more aware of how to drive correctly and responsibly, but they need to learn about the dangers that come with driving. As people are driving, many don’t realize that it only takes one wrong move, and someone’s life could be lost. They need to be educated about the power behind the wheel.

Education on driving responsibly and the dangers of driving can be found in various places including online courses or local classes. I know the police station in my town has a drivers safety course that anyone can take; I took one of those classes before getting my license. The only issue is most people aren’t going to take the time out of their day to learn about driving. Most people don’t see a need for it, or they think along the lines of “I don’t need to learn how to drive. I already know how to drive.” It is almost ironic. Drivers who think they “already know how to drive,” so they don’t need any further education, are the very drivers whose ignorance puts others at risk. For people to learn, they must first seek out the knowledge. In this case, some law or regulation should be put in place that requires a certain amount of driver’s education courses. This way everyone, regardless of if they are good drivers, just think they are good drivers, or are not even close to being good drivers, will learn the responsibilities and proper ways of driving. Then, with more educated drivers on the road, more accidents will be prevented, and more lives will be saved.

After taking a drivers safety course, I am very aware of the power I hold when I am behind the wheel. I know I could very easily get myself or others hurt or even killed. However, there have been many times where I have seen friends and family members driving irresponsibly. My dad is the worst about it. He loves watching sports and checking stats on his phone – even while he’s driving! Me, my mom, and my younger sister always tell him to “watch the road” or “put your phone away.” Even though my dad is a good driver, after all the years he has been driving, it would be very beneficial for him to be reminded of how to be a safe and responsible driver. Having older people, who haven’t taken an educational course on driving in quite some time, relearn that knowledge could save even more lives. Although, to encourage people to seek out these refresher courses, there may need to be some incentive. This could be a requirement by law or a possible reward for taking the class like a chance to win tickets to a baseball game. I bet my dad would take a refresher course on driving if it meant he could get tickets to the next Toronto Blue Jays game. That being said, no matter if you just started driving or you’ve been driving for longer than you can remember, all ages and stages of drivers should be encouraged to educate themselves on driver’s safety and responsibility.

Lastly, one incident played a major part in my view of how dangerous driving can be if someone is not careful. It was my first year of elementary school, and my friend’s mom was driving me and my friend to see the first Cars movie at a drive in. We were making a turn when suddenly a motorcyclist cut in front of us. My friend’s mom didn’t have time to get out of the way and ended up hitting him. I was young, so I only remember bits and pieces like being surrounded by firetrucks and ambulances, my friend’s mom being interviewed, not being allowed to leave the car. At the time, I didn’t realize the severity of the situation. Me and my friend were more focused on making it on tv since we saw all the big news cameras. We were too young to know what really happened. It wasn’t until just recently when I figured out that the man on the motorcycle died that day. Apparently, my friend’s mom was so ridden with guilt that she couldn’t get out of bed for days, and she wasn’t even the one that was driving recklessly. Not only did the motorcyclists’ recklessness cost him his life but it took a very heavy toll on my friend’s mom’s mental health.

Driving is not just a fun pastime for people to enjoy. It can be extremely dangerous. As this scholarship website said, “In America, an average of 34,000 people die each year as a result of driving.” With that many people dying every year, you never know who could be next – a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or you. This is why we should all take steps to be better and safer drivers and help others do so as well like not drinking and driving. Staying off your phone. Staying alert and aware of your surroundings. These are just a few tips on ways to reduce driving-related deaths, but the best tip I can give you is to get educated on driving!