Driving Towards Safety

Think about all the people you currently know, and have known so far in your life—now think about that number of people compared to 34,000 people. That figure seems overwhelming, doesn’t it? Unfortunately 34,000 people die per year on average as a result of driving. This number alone highlights just how important it is that everyone receives driver’s education, to reduce future traffic-related deaths by promoting safe driving practices and preparing people for the worst.

Various steps should be taken to improve driver’s general knowledge on the road, some more important than others. For starters, learning the various meanings of all the signs is vital so drivers don’t make a simple mistake that could cost them their life. Stop signs, yield signs, and even the lesser used ones are a necessity to be known nationwide if we hope to prevent accidents due to someone turning onto traffic when they should have yielded, or an unexpected turn they didn’t see coming. Just like the signs, all the other rules of driving must be discussed such as speed limits and right away rules. Many drivers in America (and many other countries) don’t understand how rules like these work—and it’s not hard to find thousands of videos of people getting into accidents just because of something they weren’t informed of. Though, sometimes this may not be enough. It is important for young people across the world to also be informed of what happens if they disobey these rules, and what could happen to them if they fail to show the respect the danger of the road demands.

While classroom instruction is essential, it is only one part of driver education. Practical experience is equally important, as practice truly does make perfect. That’s why it is critical for us to make sure students are also practicing things like defensive driving techniques (safe following distance, being aware in general) and such. I think that we would see a great increase in safe drivers and massive decrease in accidents if we can encourage new drivers to get into a safety preparation routine before they start driving. This could involve drivers making a conscious effort to silence phones before they ride, as well as making sure everyone has their seatbelt on before the ride even starts.

This doesn’t only have to do with drivers however, as there are many steps we can take as a nation to make sure safety is a guarantee throughout each road and street. I would start off with recommending every single railroad (yes, every single one!) have a gate or barrier to prevent crossing when a train is near. As someone who knows a girl who almost died because they couldn’t hear the train, this is very important to me because there’s a very slim chance to survive a crash with a train. Not only this, but I would push to improve areas with subpar lighting, signage, or any sort of speed control measures. All areas of the road are gonna have to improve if we want to see less death—However we may need to even stricten certain laws or penalties in certain areas that have a high crash rate. If one town has a high rate of distracted driving, then we must increase the punishment those caught receive to discourage others from doing the dangerous act that they were caught doing, and so forth.

This issue is very important to me for a variety of reasons. As I mentioned before, someone I know was almost killed from a train at a railroad crossing with no gate; but that’s not where my sorrow comes from in this issue. A family friend that I had known since I was a baby was unfortunately killed in a car crash just a few months ago. They had autism, and I believe that the education they got for the condition they had was simply not up to par and highly neglectful to the special people they were teaching. This saddens me because I feel that if we had improved education for everyone, not just your average driver, then he may still be here today to talk with us. I feel that with the right education, everyone who has an able body can be a safe driver on the road, no matter who you are.

Though this brings up the question, what can you do? In order to be a safe driver, you can do many things to prepare for your rides, many of them being things I have already mentioned before. A very nice start to your journey of becoming a safe driver is to do some of the safe practices such as turning your phone to silent, making sure people are buckled up, and utilizing defensive driving techniques. However, this is far from the most important thing to improve the safety of drivers across your community. The most significant contribution you can make to enhance safety within your community is to lead by example. Becoming a model driver—practicing caution, following traffic laws and signage—you will set a standard for others that you know to follow, and then that will spread to others down the line.

Everytime you choose to drive safely, you not only protect yourself but are able to influence those you care about around you! As we work together to achieve this, remember each small action counts; and yes, that even means waiting to check the single text you received while driving. So, let’s get out there and make a pledge to drive safely and inspire others to do the same. Together, we can significantly impact the number of tragic accidents each year and save all of us from future tears, regrets, and sadness.