Driving Enhancements

Who knew driving could be so dangerous? Around 34,000 people die in the US each year from motor vehicle crashes, which is more than the total deaths in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American war combined. This number is extremely high, and some people choose to ignore the facts. Addressing this issue is something that definitely needs to be focused on to help prevent needless deaths and accidents. An example of being proactive would be adding more classes and more teaching time, which would expand the knowledge that drivers have about the dangers of driving. Cars have many more distractions now than ever before! It’s easy to be distracted and for errors to occur. People need to eliminate the distractions, such as texting on their phone and stay focused on driving. The number of people dying from car accidents is on the rise and diligent work needs to be done in order to fix or change this trend.

Although most places around the world require a basic driving course to be completed, I believe this isn’t enough. From a positive perspective the average death rate of people in driving-related accidents is much better now than it was 50 years ago. This shows that some of the courses and laws that have been implemented in recent years have been effective. In my opinion, we need to decrease the average number of 34,000 deaths by adding more courses when a child is younger. Introducing classes or lessons that discuss the dangers of distracted driving before they even begin driving (throughout middle school) is a strategy that could be very effective. Another idea is to increase the amount of actual driving time required before getting a permit. Here in New Jersey I was required to have six hours with an instructor before I could get my permit. I feel that should be much higher as the more time you have on the road with an instructor, the more you can learn. This would also allow young drivers to develop good habits and learn from their own experiences. Overall, there have been some advancements in the effort to decrease accidents and issues on the road. However, there are still senseless accidents that can be avoided in hopes of saving many more lives.

I recently received my license and started driving. With practice, I have started to become a better driver. At first, I was extremely distracted and all over the place. Obviously, this wasn’t safe, and after my parents explained the dangers to me, I knew I had to get better. In order to avoid accidents, I had to focus on the road, put my phone down, and ignore any technology distractions in the vehicle. Sometimes, the music or radio can be too loud, and that would distract me. I made sure to keep the volume low. Also, buckling your seatbelt and driving the speed limit will potentially save your life if something out of the ordinary or unexpected happens. While police do patrol here and there, they aren’t always there to prevent something from happening, which means it is important to look at your mirrors/surroundings as much as possible when driving to be aware of what is in your surroundings. It is also important to make sure that we follow the rules and laws of the road because they have been put there to make sure we all stay safe.

If you live in a populated or congested part of the country, you know that teenage distracted driving has become a huge issue. Teenagers are young adults that are getting older and gaining more responsibility as each day passes. This means they will have to step up and get focused on the task of driving. Maybe one day, cars will have the ability to keep teens and people for that matter, from using their phone while they are driving. Unfortunately, many teenagers are buried in their phone on social media apps like Tiktok or even talking to their friends in the backseat. This causes many accidents and deaths per year and parents need to step up. From a young age, parents should inform their children about driving and the massive responsibility that comes with that privilege. It is important for them to understand that it can be taken away if not treated with the respect it requires. Teenagers are known to be all over the place, making them a big liability when it comes to distracted driving. Knowing that there are consequences when poor decisions are made could also help discern teens from making those bad decisions.

Distractions from technology paired with a lack of driving knowledge has led to many deaths in the US. As mentioned before, the use and integration of technology continues to be on the rise, and it is important to know that they can and do help, but they can also be a distraction. A car is an example of technology that has become modernized, allowing humans to travel faster and go longer distances than ever before. With more people on the road today than ever before, distracted driving has become more of an issue. We need to make sure we educate our youth and give them the ability to practice and learn from good role models in order to hopefully change the trend of 34,000 motor vehicle deaths per year.