One Life To Live: Drive Responsibly and Arrive Alive!

One billion! A number so big that it is hard for the human brain to comprehend. If you try to even imagine one billion of anything you do not even come close. The only way that I start to comprehend just how big that number truly is, is when I remind myself that every person I see knows at least 100 other people. So, the 50 people I may see in the grocery store now turns into 5,000 people. The almost 2,000 people at my school turn into 200,000 people and so on. There are currently about 8.1 billion people living on the Earth. That is 8.1 billion different personalities, experiences, and emotions. Each one of those lives is just as valuable as the next one. So why would we not do all we can to help preserve them? Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death amongst U.S. citizens. Although we have taken steps towards reducing the number of deaths, there is still more we can do.

Drivers’ education is a crucial factor in reducing the number of deaths resulting from driving. It teaches future drivers the risks and rules associated with driving. Therefore, making knowledgeable, confident, and safe drivers. Specific lessons that are taught during drivers’ education are defensive driving techniques, the meanings of different signs and symbols, and all the rules of the road. This knowledge increases drivers’ confidence significantly. Confidence when driving is important because it helps to reduce stress. This is because the driver is less afraid of what can happen and more confident in their skills. The combination of knowledge and confidence in each driver makes the roads safer. But there are still steps we can take to reduce the number of deaths related to driving.

One step we can take is to include a mandatory drivers education course in every high school during the students’ first year. This course will be beneficial in helping students get experience behind the wheel, even if it is just a couple of hours. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that in 2021 there was a total of 2,608 people who died in crashes involving a teen driver. So, making a driver’s education course mandatory at each high school should help to reduce that number. Another step we can take to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is by making licensed drivers take a test that assesses their knowledge of road signs, symbols, and rules every 10 years. The US Census shows that the median age in our country is 39 years old. This is important to know because most people get their driver’s license between the ages of 16 and 18. Therefore, there is around a 21-year gap between the time that most US citizens got their license and now. This is enough time for those individuals to pick up on negative driving habits and to simply forget some of the rules of the road. Although it is unintentional it is still extremely dangerous and puts people’s lives at risk. The knowledge test will help ensure that drivers are up to date on the rules of the road, and will in turn keep more people alive.

It is a known fact that the more a person does something the more comfortable they will be doing it. This same fact also applies to driving. As people begin to get comfortable behind the wheel, they begin to bend the rules in ways that they think do not matter. They begin to eat, use their phones, mess with the radio, etc. These may all seem insignificant but in certain situations doing one of these things could cost you or someone else their life. The reason most people do not realize or even care about the dangers of doing these things is because it is so common. I have seen many of my friends and family members drive irresponsibly and they do not even think twice about it. One time that really sticks out to me is from a couple of months ago when I was in the car with my aunt. The whole 20-minute ride from the airport to my grandmother’s house she was casually scrolling through Facebook while driving. I was in shock when I saw it and looked around to see if anyone else in the car noticed. But they all acted like it was normal and did not care. Part of me was confused because to my left sat her 2 sons who she loves more than anything. I know she would never mean to hurt them, but her irresponsible driving could end up doing so in the future. I know I should have spoken up, but I felt small in the moment.

Calling out each other’s wrong doings while driving is one step we can take to improve our driving and help others do the same. Doing so will take away the comfortable nature of those broken rules that I mentioned before. I understand from firsthand experience that it is challenging for someone not in the driver’s seat to find the courage to correct the driver, but it is a step we all must take if we want to see a difference. Additionally, we must work on being the best and safest drivers that we can be. This is something that must be done individually. For me, this looks like limiting the amount of people I let in the car with me. When the number of people in the car increases the number of distractions does too. I think this would be the best step for me individually to be a better and safer driver. I know if we all take the time to think about our weaknesses as drivers and fix them then we can make the roads safer. As Albert Einstein once said, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” So, next time you are driving think about not only driving for yourself but driving for the people around you too.