Autonomous Driving, the Built Environment, and Policy Implications

Did you know that the number one leading cause of death globally for children and youth aged 5 to 29 are attributed to crash injuries? Driving is more dangerous to our society than the impacts and casualties of war. This fact alone is insane. The truth is that modernity, the rising age of technology and the media, and policy implications by governmental entities have blinded us to the value of the life around us. There are serious implications to being a driver and it is about time we review those in order to preserve life and the unnecessary deaths of innocent lives. This essay will acknowledge the danger that comes with the negligence of drivers on the road and the responsibility that we all must share to save lives.

First and foremost, the effects of modernity – such as technology and urbanization – have undeniably had an impact on the driving habits we have developed today as a society. Driver education about the rules of the road, including posted speed limits, potential hazards, and weather considerations can have the utmost influence on being out on the road. The importance of driver education cannot be stressed enough as it teaches the aforementioned elements of driving laws to new drivers before they enter the road, and reinforces them even for experienced drivers, because nobody is ever too experienced to get into a car accident – hence the term “accident”. However, what is interesting is that we can prevent these “accidents” by possessing the necessary knowledge of road etiquette and thus the significance of driver education is reaffirmed. Drawing back to the intervening aspects of technology and urbanization, for example, self-driving vehicles are ever-more prevalent today and as such, they pose a risk to the autonomy of the driver, thereby loosening their hold over the control of their vehicles. Furthermore, the effects of urbanization such as, for example, the implementation of curvature in the architecture of modern roads imposes the danger of speeding and losing control. Alternatively, being distracted by modern technology gadgets like a mobile phone may cause one to miss the presence of a pedestrian just at the end of the curve and result in the unnecessary death of an individual who was simply attempting to cross the road.

In British Columbia, Canada, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is the only governing entity for drivers. ICBC strategically implements the initial computerized Knowledge Test for new drivers-to-be to assess their knowledge of the road. An individual must pass this examination with at least 80% in order to move forward to the actual road test, where individuals are taken on the road to be examined by certified exam invigilators. However, the eligibility criteria of these exam invigilators are quite controversial in the province of British Columbia because there is no on-the-job training to effectively certify these individuals. As a result, some exam invigilators may not be knowledgably fit enough to assess the driving habits of those individuals seeking a driver’s license. Due to this, we see drivers with dangerous habits such as using electronic devices while driving, excessively speeding (especially within city-limit zones), not using turn signals accurately or at all, and an array of more unsafe road habits. The negligence of not only drivers but also of exam invigilators should be considered, as institutional policies can have devastating implications on the road. Therefore, safety measures should be taken in the creation of policies by governmental and/or private corporations such as in the previous example, by adequately certifying exam invigilators and enforcing road safety above all.

Transitioning to the personal testimony of this topic is arguably the most difficult aspect in writing this essay for me. Two years ago on December 16^th, one of my good friends and co-worker had been hit by a speeding and distracted driver while walking home from school; she died on scene. I received the news through my employer on the next Monday morning, December 20^th. She was killed across the street from home. She was mere seconds to reaching the safety and comfort of her home, but her life had flashed before her eyes at that exact moment because of an uncalculated move by a driver. These details are extremely difficult to forget and have been ingrained in my mind because I did not and still do not understand why she had to die because of the carelessness of another driver. This event has ingrained a traumatic lesson in me – a reformed speeder – that no matter where you have to go and what time you have to be there, or no matter who texted you and how long they have been waiting for a response, it is not worth it to step on that gas pedal or pull out that phone – because at the end of the day you are better off arriving late or not having answered that message in time, than having killed someone and ending their life. That was the last week I saw my friend alive, and I vowed that with my best efforts, I would follow posted speed limits and not use my phone while I am driving. With the same intentions I would ensure my friends are not driving irresponsibly, and I would tell them this story to highlight the raw truth of such a realistic scenario.

In conclusion, it is not worth it to not follow responsible driving safety regulations to ensure that you are doing your part in making the world a safer place, one step at a time. I will say it again – driving is more dangerous to our society than the impacts of war, and while the realities of modernity, the rising age of technology and the media, and policy implications by governing institutions may have blinded us to the value of the life around us, we still have a responsibility as drivers to manage a vehicle and the road safely. We need to take better measures in appointing our exam invigilators and policy makers, and we need to take the initiative to be wise while driving and not use electronic devices or be distracted by other aspects of our journey. There are serious implications to being a driver and I sincerely hope this paper helps us acknowledge the dangers that come with the negligence of drivers on the road and the responsibility that we all share to prevent the injuries and deaths of countless innocent lives like that of my dear friend Prema, God rest her soul.