Saving Lives One Education At a Time

42,939 deaths. The number of people to die in the US in 2021 due to a driving accident is astonishing. This number should not be this high. The problem isn’t with the cars themselves, or even the upkeep of the roads; the issue is the drivers. Our society has an overall lack of care when it comes to driving safety and it’s affecting innocent people. I believe if everyone took the time to complete driver’s education with attention and care, there would be a lot less car accidents and a lot more safer drivers.

Drivers education is important because it teaches drivers the essentials of driving to show them how to be responsible drivers. Not only does drivers education educate people on the rules of the road, but it also gives real life examples to cultivate empathy. The program is filled with stories of reckless driving situations gone wrong to teach students a lesson. This is effective because it helps teens see a real example of dangerous driving leading to injuries and death. Not scaring kids out of driving, it motivates kids to be more cautious and mindful of their surroundings while driving, which should reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving.

While I myself have never been in a car accident, I have a friend who experienced it first hand, and the results were tragic. It was a Sunday morning like any other and my friend, her husband, and son were out driving when suddenly, a reckless driver came flying through a red light, pummeling into the car. The collison was so sudden and had a terrible impact; my friend and her husband were lucky enough to only be injured, hospitalized to recover, but unfortunately, their son was not so lucky and was killed in the crash. Of course, the driver of the car wasn’t aiming that morning to take someone’s life, but because of his reckless behavior, that’s exactly what he did. The issue is that he didn’t take the time to think that his choices not only have a consequence for him, but also personally affect the lives of others driving around him. If he had driven a little slower, stopping at the red light, the whole family would still be alive and together. Not only that, but he wouldn’t have to live with the guilt he now will always have with him.

A simple step we can all take to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is to take drivers ed. This doesn’t just mean completing the course but actually watching the videos, reading the information, and reflecting in depth. The issue in our society today is many teens want to drive but don’t want to actually take the time to thoroughly learn the rules of the road. Thye rush through drivers education and then struggle to drive safely when they get behind the wheel. If people took a little extra time to actually learn rules of the road, there would be less collisions and more lives saved. It seems simple, but it could be the action that keeps someone alive. One more step our country can take is to start a campaign to raise awareness. This would help people realize that reckless driving is an issue and motivate people to take action, to be safer drivers.

Making a change in our nation won’t happen at just the government level though. Each person needs to do their part. I can help in this process by speaking out when I witness unsafe driving. By gently reminding friends of traffic laws, I can help them to stay safe and also keep everyone driving around them safe. In addition to speaking out, I can do my part by being a safe driver myself. Recently, I was pulled over for going over the speed limit. As nerveracking as it was, it was a really good reminder to me to follow traffic laws. It made me think about how little I really think about the impact my driving may have on other drivers. Over time, we become desensitized to the huge responsibility it is to drive a car. When I take time to slow down and think about it, I realize that I am operating a huge 3000 lb vehicle, and that one slight jerk of the steering wheel could send me flying off the road. When I look at it from that perspective, it humbles me, making me want to be a careful driver. It changes my actions as well, forcing me to focus on the road at all times, not trying to multitask in any way.

Our society has a desperate need for a transformation in our drivers education system and the way we view driving in general. By paying closer attention to the way we go about teaching drivers education, we can better prepare teens for life behind the wheel, making our roads safer and more efficient. Reducing the number of car accidents and resulting deaths will take effort but it is very possible. If everyone can commit to doing their part to be a safer, more aware driver, I believe we can save lives.