More Than a Crash

Everyone knows that operating a firearm takes extreme responsibility. Death is literally at the gunman’s fingertips. Nobody thinks vehicles are as dangerous as firearms, even though the statistics are very similar. In 2022, firearms caused 48,204 deaths, and motor vehicles caused 44,534 deaths. Most of society believes in gun control but neglects the damage vehicles can do. This underscores the importance of safe driving. Every life is invaluable, and society must not stop educating each other about the importance of safe driving until the number of deaths is zero. A death is bad enough, but one death does not affect just one person. All the deceased person’s family, friends, coworkers, peers, etc. would be affected as well. Injuries can be almost as bad. The injured individual will incur a significant financial impact with medical expenses, legal fees, property damage, and more. The expenses are only a small part. Fractions of a second of error in a car can cause injury, mental trauma, or long-term disability. A car accident affects the deceased person’s family because they will be emotionally impacted and have to provide support for the condition. Conditions that hinder job performance will place strain on other coworkers to pick up the slack. Disabilities may also require new modes of transportation and assisted living additions. Many mental impacts, such as anxiety, PTSD, guilt, social withdrawal, and depression, would also make life difficult.

Inexperience is a main factor in car accidents. Sixteen to 17-year-olds are almost twice as likely to get into an accident as their 18 to 19-year-old peers. I have also noticed that new drivers drive more aggressively, especially when others are in the car. I have seen this with my friends, and it seems to be an attempt to show off and act cool for others. An auto insurance company backs my claim and states that aggressive driving occurs three times as often when a teenage boy is driving with a girl. Aggressiveness is also increased when other boys are present. As people mature, they are less likely to drive aggressively, and their overall driving skills improve. Vice versa means young boys are at a very high risk of an accident—the highest risk of any group.

The CDC states that over 3,000 people will die from distracted driving in 2024. These deaths are simple to eliminate. Drivers can turn on ‘do not disturb’ or shut their phone off to prevent phone distractions. Technology can assist drivers who do not plan and are tempted to look at their phones when driving. Since technology knows if your phone is in a moving vehicle, a feature to keep drivers safe could be to prompt the user to confirm they are a passenger. If he or she is driving, his or her phone should have limited use, such as only accessing navigation. Although these features all require the driver, to be honest, they will ‘keep the honest honest’ and take focus away from the phone and onto the road. Another method to reduce distracted driving could be to add internal dash cameras facing the driver. If he or she becomes distracted at the wheel, the camera could use AI sensing and give a verbal warning to the driver. If the driver knows he or she is being filmed, it would likely make him or her more attentive at the wheel, thus reducing car accidents.

Preventing deaths from car crashes is possible by lowering the number of car accidents and mitigating their effects. Lowering the number of accidents can be solved by increasing awareness of road safety and creating stricter traffic laws. Road safety awareness can be increased through driver education programs. These programs, such as Driver’s Education, teach new drivers safe driving practices and illustrate the downsides of distracted driving. Word-of-mouth is also an easy way to spread safe driving messages, and message spreaders will practice what they preach. Speed limits, alcohol limits, and seatbelt requirements are already in practice, but more laws can be implemented, such as banning hands-free devices and placing restrictions on what navigation is allowed. Law enforcement can also be enhanced by adding red-light cameras, speed cameras, and cell phone use alerts. Higher penalties for disobeying the laws would also deter people from breaking them.

To mitigate human error, vehicle and road safety should be improved. All new cars should be equipped with safety technology to prevent accidents, such as lane departure warnings, blind spot detection, collision warnings, and automatic braking. If an accident occurs, cars should be designed to keep the passengers as safe as possible, with crumple zones to slow the impact and a sturdy passenger compartment to keep the riders safe. Roads can also be improved with safety in mind. Features such as improved lighting, improved signage, and designated bike lanes will save lives. Speed bumps and chicanes should be added to slow cars down in specific areas. Regular maintenance of roads is also necessary to ensure they are in good condition. Human error causes ninety-four percent of accidents, and improving technology is the best way to avoid a crash when making inevitable mistakes.