Thumbs Down

“Live life in the fast lane,” they say. “Hurry up, grandma.” Statements such as these refer to the general nature of life. We move at a lightning pace; instead of smelling the flowers, we crush them on the way to the end. This deafening speed has been translated over to the roads. Reckless, fast, and unsafe driving has become the norm, all just to get nowhere. Someone from my school got six speeding tickets in one month; she was completely unfazed and thought this was normal behavior. This is wrong because others’ lives are in our hands whenever we get on the road. Somehow, we need to reduce the positivity surrounding speeding and unsafe driving because this is out of hand.

Driver education is critical in preventing unnecessary deaths because it teaches students to follow the laws and safety procedures exactly. My driver education class taught us various situations and how to navigate them safely. If drivers, especially new drivers, can learn how to do things right the first time, they are more likely to continue the habit. Driver education teachers often tell stories to their students about a time another student made a careless mistake and describe the negative consequences. This helps forewarn students of their responsibilities as a driver and understand their gravity. These classes help minimize deaths because drivers are more aware of the proper ways to handle challenging situations and can see how their actions affect others after taking them.

The main way to reduce the number of car-related accidents is to slow down. Wait until there’s a clear path instead of making that sketchy turn, slow down around turns and sharp corners, and just, in general, slow down. There is no reason to travel ninety-seven miles down a highway. Even if the driver is running behind, those waiting would much rather the person arrive safely late than dead because they were rushing. One way to encourage slower driving would be to reduce speed limits. People will speed no matter what, so instead of posting the safe speed limit, post five to ten miles per hour slower. This will ensure that even if people speed, they will travel at a safe speed limit instead of exceeding the safe level. More educated drivers could help reduce the amount of sketchy driving related to speed. Many people hold an “it won’t happen to me” mentality, so it would be beneficial if they understood that anything could happen. The goal is not to scare or threaten people but to educate them. Surprisingly, many people do not think they will be in an accident regardless of the quality of their driving. Thus, it would help reduce the number of deaths if people were aware of the consequences of their actions; they might be guilted into driving safer.

Last year, I was rear-ended; I still had my learner’s permit and was a fairly new driver. I chose to wait a beat at a yield sign because I could not pull through the intersection since there were cars. Yet, the person behind me assumed I would go, so they rolled forward. When I did not go, they rolled right into my back bumper. While there was minimal damage, no one was hurt, and the airbags didn’t even go off; it was still incredibly scary. I could not imagine being in a more serious crash. It seems wrong that my safe driving caused the wreck because the person who rear-ended me was so accustomed to people making unsafe choices that they assumed I would, too. My experience may seem insignificant because it was minor; however, it demonstrates that people drive expecting recklessness. This should be extinguished immediately because it encourages more of it. I was enjoying my Saturday morning donut run, yet the person behind me thought it was the Indy500. It was not my fault, but I was still worried and questioned my abilities as a driver. I am worried that people think nothing of accidents like that, stating, “Oops, my bad,” rather than displaying concern for their driving style.

To become a better driver, I can practice and try to learn every day. It is important to remain unemotional and stop driving with strong emotions. I know this can lead to reckless driving and overestimating my abilities, so I will avoid it. I can use guilt to encourage others not to speed. The classic thumbs-down works better than any other technique because people think they know what they’re doing. Meaning they will not listen if I just say slow down. However, using some guilt about their bad driving holds more value because it makes them reconsider if they were in the wrong. A good ol’ thumbs down does not spark rage like a honk or other obscene gestures, so it is safe but makes those in the wrong aware of their actions. We can all start a thumbs-down trend towards our fellow drivers, reminding them to drive safely so others know and reap the consequences of poor driving. We need a friendly wake-up call because the current driving situation is unacceptable; let’s raise awareness to end reckless and unsafe driving.