Minimizing the Dangers of Driving

Many people are excited by danger. Others are terrified of it. Regardless, they see guns and fighting and skydiving as dangerous. If they are more thoughtful, they may think of drugs or alcohol as being dangerous. However, very few people think of driving as a dangerous activity. In fact, more Americans die because of driving per year, on average, than were killed during the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars. On average, 34000 people die driving per year, more people than were killed in all but five wars in America’s history. This is not to say driving is a bad activity; in fact, the advent of driving has been very beneficial to today’s society. Rather, it is important that people are aware of the dangers of driving and educate themselves in the practice of being a good driver.

One of the foremost practices towards becoming an educated and safe driver is taking drivers education. According to studies, “Driver’s Education is helpful since it encourages responsible behavior from the start”. One of the most common refrains heard is that it is easier to learn when young than old. Thus, steeping drivers in safe practices from the beginning is one of the most effective ways to promote safe driving. The same source shows that “Drivers may help make their communities safer by lowering the accident rate via adherence to traffic regulations and defensive driving techniques.” Less accidents means less deaths due to driving. Each driver following the law, aware of the traffic regulations, and knowledgeable in defensive driving is a driver who helps make the roads safer. Drivers’ Education is not solely beneficial for new drivers either; it can serve as a good refresher for experienced drives as well. Thus, drivers’ education is very beneficial and the first step in equipping drivers of all ages with the tools to be a safe driver and lower the number of deaths related to driving.

Drivers’ Education also introduces people to the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or while distracted. Drivers going through driving school “…are more likely to see…videos that show the consequences and destruction caused by driving while in the influence of drugs or alcohol”]. There are several easy steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 13524 people died while driving under the influence in 2022. Moreover, an average of 37 people die every day due to driving under the influence. Of the roughly 34000 deaths occurring annually related to driving, over a third of them are easily preventable by not drinking and driving. Another safe habit young drivers should be exposed to is remaining focused while driving. Driving is hard enough and already dangerous as it is, it becomes much tougher when the driver is focused on their phone instead of the road. If drivers kept their phones down and their heads up, as all the corny traffic ads say, the roads truly would be a safer place. In conclusion, three straightforward steps exist to reducing the number of deaths due to driving: driving only while sober, driving without the influence of drugs, and driving with the phone down.

I never went through drivers’ ed, and it showed when I began driving. I have been the offender in a car accident before. Largely because I ignored my cameras and my surroundings, I backed straight into a stationary car damaging their rear bumper. I was lucky as a new driver to never be placed in a situation where I had to drive defensively, because I was not ready. Backing out of a parking spot was tough for me because I didn’t have good enough control of my car. Often, I would be caught not paying attention to the road and drifting towards the edge of one side or another because I had never accepted the common sense of driving. (I had definitely been taught it; my parents are both good drivers and teachers.) However, it took the tangible evidence of hitting another car for me to acknowledge the real dangers of driving. Experience turned out to be my greatest teacher, but many people today shouldn’t take my path towards being a good driver. Instead, they should use my cautionary tale to acknowledge the dangers of driving early and prepare themselves to be effective defensive drivers from the start.

In conclusion, for all the drivers starting on their journey or for those who need a refresher, I would like to offer a few tips towards being a good driver. Before you get in the car, ensure you are in a ready state to drive. Don’t drive under the influence, while distracted by more pressing matters, or when impaired by natural factors such as tiredness. Always ensure that you know where you’re headed and get the Google Maps ready if you don’t. Find a voice you like, because picking up the phone to look at the map while driving is another way to become distracted. Always check your mirrors and always use your turn signals. Make sure the cars around you know what you’re doing. As a driver myself, I know that proper signaling helps all the drivers around you be safe as well as yourself. Finally, always check that you have your license with you. If something goes wrong, you never want to compound the mistake by missing something as easy yet critical as your documentation. Doing this will make you a better driver, and also a model citizen to those around you. Your friends may see you practicing good habits and begin using good driving behavior as well. It is impossible to know when your actions may save a life, so be attentive to the little details as though each one of them may save someone’s life, because someday it might.