In the Driver’s Seat

With around 20,000 lives lost in vehicle crashes in early 2024, driving-related fatalities remain one of the most common factors in the death toll, especially among teenagers. The persistence of risky, distracted, and impaired driving remains stubbornly high and highlights the need for continued education and efforts on road safety and preventable accidents and deaths.

Driver education plays a crucial role in maintaining road safety and reducing driving-related deaths by teaching individuals the key elements needed to stay safe, such as skills, defensive driving practices, the dangers of risky driving, and more. However, it is also something that is overlooked among young drivers. Studies have shown that young drivers who have completed a driving education course are more aware of the road and its risks and the consequences of impaired or distracted driving. At the same time, not all of them put those objectives into practice, therefore, becoming more prone to driving-related accidents, with distracted and impaired driving being the number one cause.

As the number of driving-related deaths remains alarmingly high, a manifold of precautions that can be taken to reduce that problem remains at large. This includes the enforcement of driver education courses, the strengthening of road laws, and a deeper understanding and stricter laws on driving incidents. In schools, some students enroll in a driver’s education course to learn about the basics of driving, however, they usually dismiss some important parts of those courses when they eventually hit the road. These decisions usually end up with them making poor decisions such as driving under the influence, being distracted, and even driving under heightened moods which can affect their judgment while on the road. I believe that most of the time, those drivers might think that a quick payment of a ticket could make those charges disappear if they ever get caught in an incident, however, that is not the case. Some of these cases, like DUIs for example, can stay on record for about 20 years, which can make it hard for some to move on in life.

Although I have never had any first-hand experience related to car accidents, I have, however, heard about and experienced some close individuals driving irresponsibly. Irresponsible driving is something that flows deeper than just distracted driving, such as texting while driving, or driving while under the influence. It reaches certain checkpoints such as speeding, aggressive and reckless driving, driving without a seatbelt, and ignoring weather conditions. Texting while driving is the most common distraction that I have experienced while in a car with someone. As the most repeated driving warning, “Don’t text and drive!” usually ends up being overlooked and often ignored due to a slight feeling of annoyance. Even so, it is the leading cause of car-related accidents, especially among young drivers.

Another factor that usually leads to some friends driving irresponsibly is their mood. This reason might come as a shock to some and could end up getting dismissed since it might be found unreliable. However, with first-hand experience in the passenger seat as my background, I can plead that heightened moods can surely affect a driver’s judgment and skills while on the road. When driving while stressed, drivers can start driving frantically and unsafely. If angry or upset, those drivers can also begin experiencing road rage, which would eventually lead to aggressive and reckless driving, which impacts both the drivers and those around them.

As a new young driver, I have taken extreme caution on the road. Although I used to be nervous at first, I have learned how to calm myself down and not let my mood get too heightened since I learned that heightened moods can impact my skills and judgment and even put me at risk. I have also taken into great consideration and put into application to not text or use my phone at all while driving. However, when I know that I will need to use it, for the GPS, for example, I set everything up before I hit the road to avoid using it while actively driving on the road.

Helping others follow the same curriculum that I use to stay safe. As a passenger, I am extremely perceptive about my driver and surroundings and take notes about any unsafe situations that we may encounter. Although I try not to bombard any unsafe driver that I am alongside with any excessive information that can fluster them and possibly make them drive even more unsafely, I usually leave my comments at the end, hoping that they will consider them and put them into practice further down the road. However, if the situation calls for immediate comments or action, I do so accordingly. The most common action that I take to help others become safer on the road is talking to them and giving them pointers on how to be safer. I usually let them know about the worst possible scenario that can happen and make sure that they listen to me. If those circumstances escalate to the point where I start feeling uneasy and scared, I volunteer to go behind the wheel instead and take over.