In the Driver’s Seat

Did you know that on average 34,000 people die from car accidents each year in America (DMVEDU.org)? Car accidents are not something people should joke about. They are serious and can happen to everybody. I have had two people very close to me be involved in a car accident, which resulted in one passing due to injuries and the other being seriously injured as long as others involved. To reduce vehicular deaths, proper driver education can play a huge role and make a change. In the end, everyone can take steps to become a safer driver and reduce the number of deaths significantly in the United States.

To begin, I will discuss the car accidents that have affected people very close to me. First, is my aunt, Melena, my mother’s sister, who lost her life at the young age of 29 years old. She left behind her 3 young children who were 8, 6, and 5 years old at the time. Melena was on her way to work in a bad storm when she lost control of her vehicle, hit a tree, and flipped multiple times. Then she was transported to our local emergency room where she passed before my mother could get to her. The next person is my boyfriend, Ethan, who was in a severe accident over a year ago. He was driving with three of his friends in the car when he was t-boned and crashed into a ditch. The four boys resulted in significant injuries as well as the older couple that hit them. Ethan and everyone else was rushed to the same emergency room where my aunt ended up. Five of six people involved resulted in needing surgery. These accidents were life changing for everyone.

Now, I will discuss how proper driver education can play a big role in reducing vehicular deaths. First, I believe that proper education is only done in person and not online. This is due to the fact that majority of the young adults taking these online courses are not fully paying attention and just letting the time run out on the website, resulting in the lack of knowledge that driving requires. Next, with the correct knowledge, people will know how to correctly operate their vehicles, acknowledge their responsibilities on the road, and be familiar with the laws of the road. This will benefit people when they are in certain weather aspects, show people the actions they need to take on the road, and inform drivers on the laws they have to follow to ensure safety for not only themselves, but also other people on the road. Finally, driver’s education discusses the meaning of road signs and signals. Both of these things are critical to road safety because road signs like “stop,” “yeild,” “ merge,” “prepare to stop when flashing,” the signals on the car’s dashboard, and even the signals that point to what lane you need to be in when there is road work can decrease accidents. Proper education is super neccessary when it comes to driving.

Lastly, there are steps everyone can take to become safer drivers and reduce the number of deaths in the U.S. The first step is to take extra precautions on the road. Take that extra second to double check your surroundings before you turn or continue driving. The next step is to never

ever get behind the wheel when intoxicated. Even if you are slightly intoxicated or you “feel sober enough to drive,” it is not safe to be on the road for yours and other’s safety. The final step is to also keep up on your vehicle’s maintenance. Keeping up on the maintenance ensures that your vehicle is safe to drive and reliable for your transportation. These steps are fairly simple and necessary for road safety and decreasing the number of deaths.

In conclusion, car accidents are extemely serious and can happen to everyone. With having two people very close to me being involved in car accidents, I now take extra percautions when on the road. With the proper driver’s education the amount of vehicular deaths will decrease significantly and make the road a safer place. People learning road signs and signals meanings and even road laws makes a difference in driving. Everyone can take simple steps to reduce the amount of accidents. As simple as, taking another second to double or triple check their surroundings before continuing onto the road. Every individual driver can make the road a safe pleace and reduce the the number 34,000 drastically.