Look up people! Save a life!

Driver education is one of the most important and helpful tools for those learning how to drive for the first time. It teaches drivers about the basic laws and standards of the road and the responsibility that they take on when they get behind the wheel. Failing to understand and apply these laws and responsibilities while on the road is the sole reason for accidents. While the majority of these accidents result in minor property damage or injuries, an increasing number of these accidents are resulting in the death of individuals involved. According to data for 2020 released by The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 38,824 lives were lost as a result of traffic crashes in the U.S. alone. That is an increase of 6.8% compared to the data for 2019. Jumping to the year 2023, while the final data has not been determined, the NHTSA reports that an estimated “9,330 people died in traffic crashes in the first three months of the year” (NHTSA, 2023). At this rate, there will be an estimated 37,320 deaths from traffic crashes by the end of the year. This is, thankfully, a decrease, which the NHTSA accredits the decrease in driving due to the pandemic, but there is still a lot to be done for the issue at hand. Increasing driver education in road safety is one of the major keys to continuing to decrease these numbers. The quality and quantity of this education is what influences and shapes the driving styles and habits of new drivers who hit the road every day. As a personal testament to the importance of driver’s education, when I was first learning to drive in my older sister’s little beat-up Honda Accord, within the first week I was instructed to hit the freeway to practice lane changes around other cars. So naturally, being the still timid and scared new driver that I was, one of the first things I did was understeer on an overpass and almost drive off to a good 5-6 story fall with my sister and brother in the car. The importance of knowing when to brake and accelerate on turns was never clearer to me than after that experience.

While it is a good thing that the number of traffic deaths is decreasing, it is safe to say anyone would agree even one traffic death a year is too many. There are various ways to help diminish the number of deaths caused by traffic crashes. While some are more effective than others, and it may seem impossible to get the number down to zero, it is a necessary battle that must be fought daily. Some of the more effective ways to help reduce the number of traffic deaths are driver education, community awareness, urban planning, and stricter laws and punishments for those who endanger others on the road. Driver education is the foundation for those learning to drive. Updating the education of new drivers is crucial to ensuring that their habits and driving styles are the safest they can be when they begin driving on their own. According to Safe Roads Alliance, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to promoting driver safety, “43 percent of first-year drivers and 37 percent of second-year drivers are involved in car crashes” (SRA) in the U.S. alone. According to a 4-year study, giving new drivers advanced driver training drastically reduces that number to 4.6%. Community awareness and urban planning go hand in hand. Ensuring that roadways are well planned and maintained to ensure the citizens goes a long way. Proper signage in and out of school zones, traffic control, pedestrian-oriented crosswalks and stop lights, adequate law enforcement patrol and the general safety-oriented mindsets of citizens make all the difference in the world when it comes to keeping everyone safe. Last mentioned, but certainly not the last on the long list of preventive measures, is stricter laws and punishments for those who endanger others on the road. From your daily distracted driver to entitlement and road rage scenarios on the highway, street racing, driving under the influence, joyriding at high speeds, and the fast-growing trend known as “takeovers”, the danger posed by the negligence of these drivers is all the same. Increasing the consequences for those caught participating in these acts is a sure way to bring down the number of deaths resulting from these acts. Take the state of Texas for example, as of September 1 of this year, “convicted drunk drivers [will have] to pay child support if they kill a child’s parent or guardian, according to House Bill 393.” (Watson, 2023). Advancements like these are what add that longer lasting punishment on those who willingly choose to endanger innocent lives on the road, as well as help communicate the message that the responsibility of getting behind the wheel is not just to themselves, but to every person around them, and the people in their lives that are affected as well.

When it comes to my personal experiences, I have had many friends and family members learn from their experiences with driving irresponsibly. One of my closest friends learned her lesson when she rear-ended a truck at a stop light because she was distracted by her phone. To this day it is one of the most embarrassing stories about her to tell, and safe to say she does not text and drive anymore. Family members of mine will regularly take phone calls while driving, which in part is because it is not looked down upon in the small pueblo streets of Mexico where they grew up. I myself am guilty of having occasionally sent a text with one or even no hands on the wheel. While I have never caused an accident or been in any serious accidents caused by negligent driving, it is circumstances like mine that can make a young driver careless and at times negligent. Within a quick survey of some of my peers and workplace associates, those who have never caused an accident or have never been in an accident typically tend to be more confident in not seeing the issue with occasionally checking their phone, texting, or being momentarily distracted while driving. In a generation that is glued to the increasingly accessible online world, more and more attention is being taken away from the road. On my daily drive to work alone, I can easily spot an average of 5-6 drivers looking down at their phones while they are still moving.

When I get behind the wheel, my safety is not always the first thing on my mind. If I am late to work or traveling short distances, I occasionally forget to put on my seatbelt or may test the speed limit if I see no officers on the road. I often need to slow down, both physically and mentally, not bringing my habit of being in a rush in my daily life onto the road. I can be a much safer driver just by making this small change. And for those around me, especially friends my age, I can be more assertive in pointing out when they are endangering themselves, me, anyone else in the vehicle, as well as those outside of the vehicle. Simply getting more involved in spreading awareness is one of the easiest ways to raise awareness and get the message out. Fatalities from car crashes can happen to anyone, at any given moment. No one expects to be a victim of the statistics. No one expects to be a cause of an addition to the statistics. No one expects that phone call, message, or officer at their front door telling them that a loved one has died in a car accident.

In conclusion, there are many ways that we as a community can help fight the statistics. Awareness, active prevention, foundational education, coming down hard on those who choose to endanger those we love and themselves. Understanding the consequences and effects that our everyday actions can have on a person’s life. It is undoubtedly an uphill battle in our nation. But like many others, it is a battle that needs to be fought on a daily level by everyday people like you and me. Holding ourselves and those around us responsible is what it comes down to if we want to eventually bring the number of lives lost in car crashes down to zero.