Eyes on the Road

As a victim of a car crash, I feel very strongly about safe driving and vehicular accidents and deaths. It is essential to have quality driver education programs in every community in order to prevent dangerous driving, accidents, and the loss of lives. There are also other ways to prevent these terrible events such as stricter laws and the minimization of distractions. I find it to be every person’s duty to do their best to prevent reckless driving and accidents. If everybody works together and commits to upholding the rules of the road, we could significantly reduce the vehicular accident and death rate across the nation.

At the beginning of my junior year of high school, all my friends were getting their licenses and I was so excited to get mine and have the freedom that comes with it: being able to go anywhere you want, whenever you want. One of my friends had gotten her license before I got mine and offered to drive me home from school. I was elated at the idea of having my friend drive me around. We got in the car, buckled up, and left the school parking lot. We were both giddy with excitement and waving out the window to our friends who had to walk home. Until… CRASH! My friend had been so distracted waving out the window at our friends that she didn’t see the truck that was stopped in front of us. Luckily, neither of us was severely injured, but her car was totaled. Her family had to pay thousands of dollars to get the truck that she hit fixed and her parents were not happy campers. Had she been paying attention to what was in front of her and watching the road, we would not have crashed.

Quality driver’s education courses are imperative to keep the number of car accidents to a minimum. A quality driver’s education course doesn’t just make you memorize the rules of the road, it makes you understand and follow them. If people understand traffic laws and why they are in place, they are more likely to follow them. Teaching the reasoning behind a law makes it more than just words on a paper; it shows why the law is important and why it needs to be followed. For example, my driver’s education teacher in high school showed us statistics on drunk driving accidents to illuminate the importance of driving sober. I remember looking at those statistics and thinking that I would never want to be the cause of such a horrible thing. Driver’s education courses aren’t just silly classes you have to take to get your license. They play a significant role in reducing dangerous driving, vehicular accidents, and vehicular deaths by helping people acknowledge and accept the rules of the road.

The amount of deaths related to driving that happen each year is horrifying. There are steps that need to be taken by everybody in order to ensure safer drivers and safer roads. One of these steps is stricter punishments for drunk-driving. According to the United States Department of Transportation, about 37 people in the United States die each day in drunk-driving crashes (nhtsa.gov). These accidents were all completely preventable had the driver decided to not get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol. With stricter laws and punishments in place, it is my hope that there would be less people driving under the influence and therefore less lives lost in drunk driving accidents. Another step to reduce deaths related to driving is the minimization of distractions while driving. This could include keeping music at a reasonable volume, keeping your hands on the steering wheel, staying focused on the road, and most importantly, staying off of your cell phone. Distracted driving is extremely dangerous and has the potential to cause fatal accidents. If you reach for your phone while driving, you are risking your life and the lives of those around you.

In order to be a better and safer driver, I am taking actions to reduce my distractions while driving and making sure my friends and family do the same. For example, before I drive, I always put my phone in Do Not Disturb mode and set it out of my reach. I make sure that any passengers I have will not be overly distracting or try to show me things while I am driving. I ensure that I keep my hands on the steering wheel and my eyes on the road at all times. If I am the passenger while someone else is driving, I make sure that they do the same things. Limiting distractions is one of the most important things you can do not only as a driver, but also as a passenger.

Imagine if every driver in the United States limited distractions, drove sober, and followed the rules of the road. The amount of crashes would be reduced considerably. It is crucial to ensure that citizens are aware of the rules of the road and that they follow them. Driving safely is not just a choice, it is our duty.