Safety is Key

We had been sitting on the side of the road for hours. We finished all of our homework and were playing tag inside the car while it poured rain down outside. I felt bad for my mom who had to stand outside talking to some random lady and a police officer with only a poncho to protect her from the pressing storm because the lady couldn’t pay attention. I was only seven so when the car suddenly jerked forward I assumed my mom accidentally hit the gas for a second. But in reality a woman had rear ended us because she was too busy staring at her phone to realize that the light was red. That was the first car accident I have ever been in, I’ve seen so many more the older I got. I’ve seen the roads I passed for years become decorated with flowers and signs telling others to drive safely. The only thing that was different was I knew how to keep myself safe. As the world continues to rely on cars as their main use of transportation it is important to make sure we properly prepare ourselves for the safety of everyone on the road.

To start off, driver education is the first step in creating safer roads and reducing the number of driver deaths. One of the main goals of driver education courses is to make sure their students comprehend traffic laws in all types of situations and prevent speeding, running red lights and moving violations. Consequently, those who have not completed driver education are 75% more likely to get a traffic ticket and 24% more likely to be involved in an injury or fatal car accident. If these drivers had completed driver’s education the likelihood of getting in fatal crashes would be reduced due to their understanding of traffic laws that are set in place to prevent these accidents. Despite this clear link not every driver on the road has this knowledge which is why another part of driver education that is equally as important is taught: defensive driving techniques. Defensive driving techniques teach effective crash prevention by making sure you are alert and able to detect poor driving. By having these skills you are able to properly lower and in some cases all out prevent yourself from getting into car crashes with inadequate drivers reducing the chance of injury or fatal car accidents. In all, driver education is an important first step in preventing yourself and others from getting into dangerous accidents, therefore reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving.

Furthermore, it is important that we physically and emotionally prepare ourselves everytime we drive. The best way to physically prepare yourself is making sure you secure yourself using a seatbelt. Seat Belts reduce the risk of front seat passenger car occupant deaths by 45% and injuries by 50%. This shows that such a small step before driving can reduce your likelihood of getting hurt by driving by half. Moreover, the safer the driver is the safer the passengers in your car along with those in the same accident are likely to be. By preventing your own injuries you are able to help take control of the situation and stay level headed. In the same way, controlling your emotions is important in helping these situations just as much as it is in preventing them. Before you start to drive you should always make sure you are in the right headspace because extreme emotions like anger or sadness can blur your perception of reality. Leading to increase in tension, destructiveness and road rage which increases the chances of getting into or causing a car accident. Anything that is likely to increase the chance of car accidents rapidly escalates the chance of injury or death. Overall, making sure we are physically and emotionally prepared to drive makes the roads a safe place for ourselves and other drivers.

In conclusion, driving is an important skill that we all must learn to do in this modernized world. As the number of drivers increases it only emphasizes the importance of road safety. The most important and easiest ways to improve road safety is through driver education, and physical/emotional preparedness. By practicing these skills they will in turn lead to reduction in driving related deaths and injuries as well as overall safety. Teaching how to be road safe should be our number one concern in our growing urbanized world. While our reliance on automobiles increases, that doesn’t mean driving-related deaths should increase too.