Safe Driving Is a Decision That Can Save a Life

Driving a car is an incredible freedom. When I turned 16, I could not wait to start driving. It gives me a sense of independence. But, with great power comes great responsibility. My dad always told me that driving is a privilege, not a right, and how true this is! It is amazing to be able to leave the house and go out with friends and do all kinds of things that we had never been able to do before age 16. But, driving is taken for granted more than it should be. In fact, studies report that, “car accidents are a leading cause of injury and death in the U.S.”

At least 7.3 million motor vehicle accidents occur each year across the nation, according to recent data and the latest findings from authorities. And that works out to roughly: 19,937 crashes every day” (“How Many Car Accidents Occur Each Hour, Day & Year?”). The saddest part of all is how preventable this is. The top two causes are driving while intoxicated and speeding (Bieber). Thirty-one percent of the crashes across the nation are caused by alcohol. And, this is entirely preventable–we know how dangerous it is to drive while intoxicated, but several adults and teens alike still proceed to. And, 11% of drivers involved in fatal accidents are between ages 15 and 20 (“Teen Driver Car Accident Statistics & Facts”). And, 94% of crashes are caused by human error.

So what is the solution? We know how dangerous careless driving can be, but how do we show the population the reality of this? The answer is clear: education and empowerment. If the population is sat down and told the hard to hear statistics: in just 2018 alone, 36,000 people died in the U.S. as a result of car accidents and millions more are injured each year (“Safe Driving”). This information cannot be taken lightly. Safe driving saves lives! Teenagers especially have more accidents than any other age group, and unsurprisingly, the most common cause was phone usage. If you are going 55 miles per hour and look down to your phone for 5 seconds, you have traveled the distance of an entire football field with your eyes not even on the road. This is how serious phone usage and driving really is, and thousands of teens and adults alike participate in this daily. The only solution to this problem is serious education that if you drive recklessly, not only are you risking your life, but the lives of all of those around you.

On average, 9 teens are killed on a daily basis due to driving accidents. To help keep new drivers safe, all states use a graduated licensing system consisting of three stages. Teens first get their learner’s permit, which requires diving supervised by an adult driver. After passing their driving test, they receive a license that comes with restrictions, including limits on nighttime driving and passengers. After maintaining a safe driving record for a set period, they are eligible for a standard driver’s license.

Parents must be good role models since teens are still watching and learning from how parents behave. Parents have a lot of power to reach their children by communicating with them how to improve their driving. It is advised to parents that “conversations about safe driving need to be small topics each time but be brought up multiple times” (“Safe Driving”). Past studies suggest that parents can make a difference. Through motivating their teens to engage in safe driving behaviors early on, parents help teens establish safe driving habits that they carry into their adulthood and can possibly even teach to their own children.

I learned the importance of driving by recently learning that one of my cousins tragically passed away due to a car accident. He was driving 80 miles per hour on a road with a speed limit of 35, and this mistake cost him his life. If we try to drive fast just to appear cool or to get places in a speedy fashion, we aren’t doing ourselves any good. All we are doing is making a decision that can be fatal. Everybody is so special and so unique–no person can ever be replaced. By driving incredibly too fast or too careless, we can be robbing the world of precious lives. Every person has a story and every person has so much value, and if we drive with much care and attention, we make this world a safer place to live in.