LIVES ARE AT RISK

 

Most people start driving at the age of 16 or even before that and the age increases. Most people look forward to driving at a young age because it gives the sense of being independent and the freedom some crave so much. Everyone who’s gotten their license has gotten it for a reason either they need a form of transportation, or doing it because they’re forced to, or even because they just like the idea of driving everyone has their different reasons, the big and little. And like everything we do, we don’t think about the negatives and just focus on the positive aspects that it brings us. With driving it’s hard to ignore them when they happen so often, too often.

Car accidents occur “an estimated five to six million” each year, which is “15,000 accidents each day” (Spingarn 2022). This is way too often and these numbers could be reduced by drivers taking driver education. Everyone learns how to drive in their own way some learn by watching videos, some by an instructor, some by their parents, etc. But in some of these ways, you are not really taught what driving really is only the basics. With a driver’s education they teach the basics of driving, how to be a responsible driver, safe driving tips, and also the consequences that come with not being a responsible and safe driver. People don’t usually think about the consequences that come with driving and the many risks that come along with it every time you get into a car. Having a driver’s education it’ll have a bigger impact on people because it’ll be engraved in them that driving is overall a life and death situation.

There are many different steps and plans that could be made that could be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. I have split them up into the different categories that are considered the causes of car accidents. One is reckless driving which could be reduced by having street signs up that say “Slow down”, and “Make it home safe” This is already a thing but I feel like it would work better if it was seen more often. Also increasing the price of tickets could stop reckless drivers because they wouldn’t want to waste money on something that they could not have done. For night and drowsy drivers, there could be empty parking lots with garages designated for drivers who need to sleep and take a break if they don’t want to pay for hotels. To be more simple they could just stop at a gas station or a resting spot to take a break. For drunk drivers, it may be a lot for people but there should be a way to have required devices for all cars that will ask questions only sober people could answer just like the questions that pop up asking if one is a robot. Honestly, at the end of the day, all these steps and plans can be issued but it first relies on the person and how much they really care. It’s just like a teacher teaching a student a new concept the teacher could explain the knowledge to the student but the student has to have the motivation to apply it.

I haven’t experienced being in a car accident but I have seen my friends driving irresponsibly. Some of my friends have fast cars that make loud noises and they tend to speed or “race” each other to compare their car’s speeds. They know that it’s dangerous but they live in the moment instead of thinking of the consequences that it may bring. They’ve all got tickets recently which helped subside their speeding because they realize that their “enjoyment,” brings along a payment, literally. There are many steps that can be made to help with responsible driving but the first step is to start with oneself. I believe one needs to change their own ways and fix them before one can inform someone about the outcome of reckless driving because nobody going to listen to someone who texts and drives and is telling someone else about the outcomes that may come from that decision. After that, I think that informing your friends and family about benign responsible drivers is more effective than a stranger going up to them because it is from someone who is personal to them and they know they care about their well-being. Driver education being affordable would also help inform more people since it wouldn’t be too much of a burden on their pockets. At the end of the day, nobody’s perfect but when it comes to driving we have to be close enough for our sake and others.

Like my dad tells me “When you’re driving remind yourself that everyone is crazy and you are the only sane driver”. Drive with caution and always be aware of your surrounding because no matter how many warning or caution is given to drivers you can’t tell how someone’s feeling that day, their intentions, or what dangers may come along. Drive with sanity because your life and others count on it.