The Causes and Crucial Solutions of Car Accidents

Accidents fall into the top 3 of preventable deaths in the United States. Most people wouldn’t even have guessed the statistic was so high, totaling around 86%. We all took our 5-hour course, along with our road test and were told numerous ways to prevent car accidents, but how much of that information flew in one ear and out the other if in 2021 alone 42,000 people (about twice the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden) died. More ways can be taken to lower these numbers if Americans would talk more often on how much of an impact this has on people and their families.

Driver Education could be a major way to reduce the number of deaths per year. These courses will go through the state’s traffic laws to educate the student, as well as ways to safely operate the car. New skills that can teach driver’s ways to avoid car accidents. Most people make the mistake that Drivers Education is only for new drivers, I also made that assumption, but anyone can take these courses to gain the knowledge on how to prevent accidents. Professionals will get in the car, and they will show you the proper ways to maneuver the car. They instill the causes of reckless driving and why it needs to be prevented.

Many steps can be taken to prevent the number of deaths related to driving. One most people ignore is watching out for the weather, even if you are the only person on the road. Black ice, leaves and rain can sneak up on you when you least expect it. Begin driving at speeds that can help you maintain control of the car. Next, don’t drive under the influence or even when you are drowsy. This can cause you to swerve into other lanes where there is oncoming traffic or off onto the side of the road. Call a taxi or uber to ensure you get home safely, as well as the safety of other people on the road. Never pick up your cell phone, or even start playing with your apple CarPlay. One second away from the phone can be the difference between life and death. Whoever is texting or snapchatting you can wait, if it is urgent find a safe spot to pull over.

I have been in multiple car accidents while other people were driving. There are two that stuck with me the most, the first was my sister’s first ever one, we were driving on a main road, and she stopped to let a person cross, while she was stopped a taxi rear ended her and he was seen texting on his phone. Seeing the sheer panic on her face made me realize how important it is to never text and drive, it can wait. The second, I was not in the car but on a rainy night people I knew from high school were speeding around and were only 2 miles from home. So someone in the back seat took their seatbelt off and next thing they knew the car lost traction and he went flying through the windshield. From then on we were always told accidents happen closest to home because people think since they are close it is safe to take off their seatbelt, now when I am in the car, I make sure everyone has it on at all times.

I am currently 20 years old and throughout my 4 years of driving I have been very cautious of the way I drive. Sometimes I make my mistakes, such as being drowsy while driving, due to trying to make it to class on time and working during the week. I have recently been trying to work on that by fixing my schedule. To Ensure safety when other people are in my car, I always make sure they have their seatbelts on. Making sure to check all my mirrors while driving and I always offer my friends a ride home when I know they are going out for the night to make sure they will get home safely. I remind my family that I want them to be safe when I know they are going on long road trips and how I never want to lose them.

Overall, we can all work on different ways to ensure the safety of others and take accountability for our actions. People make mistakes, but you never want to cause the death of yourself or another. Learn your car, the state laws and if you can go take a driver’s education class to brush up on key factors you might have forgotten about.