Road to Responsibility: Ensuring Safer Journeys for All

For my parents, it’s September 11th. For my grandparents, it’s the day President Kennedy was assassinated. For me, the day that remains frozen in my mind is the day of the car accident. I was 12 years old, and I didn’t know time could freeze like that. I didn’t know that shocking news could make a moment stay etched in your head like a photograph with every detail in focus.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in October. My family was sitting out on our big front porch, enjoying the mild weather. My grandmother had come by to visit, and we were all telling stories about the previous week. I remember eagerly awaiting my turn to drive our tractor around the field, everything peaceful and right with the world. I took one last glance at my phone before heading out to the yard. WHACK! Like ice water in the face, the messages that were appearing on my screen shocked me. My friend’s big sister had been in a terrible car accident. Nine teens from our town were in a vehicle that veered off the road and overturned into an embankment. Several were being life-flighted from the scene.

It was hours before we knew the extent of it all, but it felt like an eternity that we sat waiting for updates. We learned that my friend’s sister, who was also my little sister’s babysitter, had been in the third row of the SUV. When the car went off the road, she was ejected from the vehicle into a tree. She was one of the people who had been taken by helicopter to the hospital due to the seriousness of her condition.

I’m grateful to report that a miracle took place; all nine of them survived. All were able to make full physical recoveries. But it was a close call. Way too close. How could this have happened in our small, peaceful town? None of them had been drinking. No one was using drugs. The weather had not made driving conditions perilous. One person was driving carelessly, and nine people nearly lost their lives as a result.

All over the world, there are people like me whose stories don’t have the happy ending that mine does. The greatest tragedy of it all is that many car accident deaths are preventable. I believe that the most powerful way to reduce vehicle crash fatalities is by instilling safe driving habits in beginner drivers. Formal driver education classes and hands-on driving training are the best proactive measures we can take.

By teaching vital information about traffic laws, acceptable driving behaviors, and road etiquette, driver education plays a critical role in creating a safer driving environment. Just as good fundamental skills are essential to success in athletics, they are critical to operating motor vehicles. They must be embedded into the learning process from the start. Teens and young adults who receive formal driver education are less likely to participate in unsafe behaviors, which leads to a significant decrease in accidents and fatalities.

One of the most important aspects of driver education is defensive driving, which teaches motorists to look out for possible hazards, stay alert, and respond quickly to unanticipated situations. These abilities improve everyone’s driving experience by improving personal safety as well as the driving environment as a whole.

I was fortunate enough to have a family that was able to pay for professional driver training, but many new drivers do not have this opportunity. This type of education should be readily available to anyone who wants to become a licensed driver. Throughout the history of American public schooling, many topics have been mandated to be taught in schools, from health education to career readiness. Since nearly every high school student will become a licensed driver, public high schools are an ideal setting for reaching new drivers with this type of training.

Additionally, enforcing traffic laws and regulations strictly is essential to preventing irresponsible behavior. Law enforcement organizations must step up or continue their efforts to keep the roads safe by increasing patrols and enforcing strict penalties for infractions. Campaigns for public awareness are equally important in informing the general public about the significance of safe driving practices and the possible repercussions of not adhering to them.

Although I have not been involved in a car accident myself, my friend’s sister’s accident serves as a sharp reminder of the significant influence that one person’s actions while driving can have. It is clear that each driver has an obligation to consider not only their own safety but also the safety of passengers and other road users. Making a commitment to lifelong learning is necessary to become a better and safer driver.

A person can positively influence others by leading by example, regularly following traffic laws, and encouraging safe driving among one’s social circles. I can set a good example for my friends and siblings by keeping up with the latest updates on traffic laws and vehicle safety features and by demonstrating a responsible and empathetic mindset toward other drivers.

With proper diver training for beginner drivers, consistent and firm law enforcement, and a culture of safe driving, the roads can become a safer place, and countless lives can be saved.