In The Driver’s Seat

Driving is a dangerous task but it is so beneficial for getting places quickly. It is effective and efficient to go anywhere that is more than a mile. It can also be a stress reliever. Regardless of how amazing cars and driving can be, it is also fatal. With an average of 34,000 people dying each year, it is a huge risk. Driver education is so important in reducing the number of deaths from driving. If people are educated on how dangerous it can be and how they can be part in reducing these deaths, it may help save lives. Knowing what is okay to do while driving and where your focus should be while in the car can be so beneficial as it can prevent more deaths. When people are learning to drive, they should be required to do the suggested 40 hours of driving with 10 at night. Practice helps people be comfortable while driving. Some driving instructors are not very strict about this 40 hour driving requirement. They really consider it a suggestion. If instructors are giving teens a license with only 10 hours of driving practice, it is almost guaranteeing an accident to happen on the roads.

Some things that can be done besides educating drivers is to require phones to be off or on silent when driving so that they are not a distraction. Phones are the number one distraction that causes death from a vehicle. There are focus modes on newer phones that automatically turn on when you start moving in a vehicle. These things should be required so even if you have your phone out, it won’t alert you of any notifications. We can also educate people on the names of roads near the places they drive so they won’t need to use a map on their phone. This will help so that people can solely focus on the road and not keep having to look at the map on their phone. Another thing that can be beneficial is to make sure that people aren’t driving too tired or too high on emotion. One requirement that I think should be installed is to provide a program of drivers to drive drunk people. Drunk drivers cause so many accidents. I think the price should be relatively cheap so that it encourages people to utilize the program when they are drunk. People also need to follow the 6 months rule. After getting your license, you need to wait 6 months at least before driving other people. While it is annoying at times, it is necessary to prevent car accidents.

I have personally never been in a car accident. However, my cousins and their small family got into a deadly wreck about 10 years ago. Because of a road hazard, they were forced to slow down. The car behind them was on their phone so they were not paying attention and slammed into the back of them. Their car slid under a semi-truck and as it started to move, it crushed their car. This accident killed my cousin and his 4 year old daughter while also hospitalizing his wife and other daughter. The two in the hospital survived but it was a tragic accident for the whole family, all because of a cell phone. I have seen my friends and family drive with their phone being a distraction and I always try to get them to put it away so we don’t have to be the ones that cause that terrible accident for another family. No one should have to experience the feelings. If people can stay off their phones and drive responsibly, we won’t have to put as many people through these awful feelings of loss.

Some steps that I can personally take is to be responsible with my phone. I can put it away while driving and silence the notifications so I am never tempted to use it. I can encourage others to do the same. I can also follow speed limits. They are there for a reason, and they should be followed, especially in neighborhoods where there are a lot of pedestrians. Another step is to always watch the road. If something falls or someone is being a distraction, I can pull over before trying to fix the problem. Also, I should not drive while I am sleepy or if I have high emotions. Being too tired could cause me to fall asleep at the wheel and cause an accident. Having high emotions like anger or excitement could also cause an accident since the road is not your main focus.