Proceed with Caution

Have you ever thought about how dangerous it is climbing into a vehicle? How dangerous it is just driving to work every day? In 2023 40,990 (estimated) people have died in motor vehicle accidents in the United States. Those of us who must commute to work risk their lives, at the minimum of twice a day, five times a week, so the risk comes more often as you think.

Driver education is the first step to obtaining a drivers license. You read the general drivers’ safety booklet, learn the laws, and typically at a young teen age you obtain a permit to learn the basics to pass your drivers’ test. Most individuals don’t understand the importance of driver’s education and how much it can impact your life. Most teenagers could care less about safety procedures when behind a motor vehicle and just want to get out on the open road and enjoy the freedom and privilege to drive.

Driving is a privilege that many take for granted. Driving is not a constitutional right, as you are granted a driver’s license based on your ability to follow roadway laws and demonstrate safe driving. Driving education is the most important step to learning how to drive. An effective driver training program not only teaches students the laws but also teaches them about the dangers of getting behind the wheel. It has been proven that driver education helps to decrease the likelihood of accidents and fatalities caused by neglectful driving. It brings awareness to the crisis that can happen as well as how to avoid risky situations and behaviors, not just for yourself but others whom you share the road with. Proper education could potentially save your life. Having knowledge of road safety can prevent many dangers to the road that cause so many fatalities every year. Being well educated in road safety gives those a better understanding of the seriousness of safe driving and teaches the practices of a good driver resulting in making the roads safer for everyone. If each of us had driver safety in mind each time we entered a motor vehicle it would significantly reduce the number of deaths per year due to avoided accidents and negligent drivers. It is important to have more people drive safely and responsibly to keep each other safe.

In 2015 I was in a car accident due to a cell phone related distracted driver proceeding at full speed through a red light. My Jeep overturned rolling three times finally coming to a full stop on its side. It was the driver’s side to which my three-year-old son was in the back driver’s side seat, we were both trapped and had to escape through the roof. We were very fortunate that my son had an effective strong car seat and I follow drivers’ safety strictly and was wearing my seat belt which kept me secure. Luckily, we suffered no injuries, but we both could have easily lost our lives due to someone else’s negligence.

Unfortunately, a major way to learn is from others’ mistakes. This has proven to be the same with developing laws behind the wheel. We have heard of too many horror stories of lost lives to irresponsible driving, and it presents as a lesson learned to the survivors. You often don’t think about it but every time you enter a vehicle you are potentially putting your life in danger. Anything can happen at any time. It could be the cause of your own actions or those of another driver, it takes but just one split second to change a life.

Driver safety refresher courses should be a requirement after several years if not annually to all drivers to encourage safe driving. It could be offered as refresher training to remind us how important safe driving is and the consequences it carries if it is not taken seriously. I think this step could help decrease the number of deaths related to driving as just a little more care and caution can go a long way.

Since my accident I refuse to be on my phone at all while driving. I encourage this to all my family and friends and remind them every time I see their phone come out of the consequences of distracted driving. I also take part in the drive-safe feature on my car insurance that gives discounts to safe drivers. With that device programmed in my vehicle it is a constant reminder and creates goals to drive my best. This feature is also one I try to get friends and family to participate in as it also gives you better insurance rates. You can be safe and save money!

In conclusion, it is immensely important to encourage safe driving to everyone. Be the voice that corrects your friend from distractions. If we all valued, prioritized, and encouraged each other with drivers’ safety it could potentially save a life or prevent an accident.