Turning the Corner on Road Safety

There’s nothing quite like the freedom of the open road—the wind in your hair and the perfect playlist blasting. But let’s be honest: for some drivers, the only thing scarier than their Spotify queue is their driving. That’s where driver education is essential. It lays the groundwork for safe driving habits, teaching the basics like signaling before you turn (you know, that mysterious lever next to the steering wheel?) and how to handle tricky situations, like parallel parking without turning it into a demolition derby. Proper education doesn’t just give drivers knowledge, it fosters respect for the road and the lives of others.

Many of my friends have experienced severe injuries due to not only being unaware of traffic laws but also from others on the road who were equally negligent. Concussions can be the least of concerns when the impact of a T-bone collision leaves someone with broken ribs and a punctured lung. And considering that car accidents are among the leading causes of death worldwide, this respect isn’t just a courtesy, but a necessity for our new car culture.

Because even with driver’s ed, the statistics remain grim. Nearly 1.3 million people die in car crashes each year, a number that’s not just a fact but a call to action. It is sad that everyone knows of someone who has died from a car crash that may have not even been their fault. Just a mile from my house a mother in my neighborhood was tragically rear-ended and pushed into oncoming traffic coming off a left turn. So what can we do to reduce these tragedies? Technology can play a role, with features like automatic braking systems and lane-keeping assist. Stricter enforcement of traffic laws can help, nothing suddenly makes people start driving more carefully than a slap on the wrist for speeding. Even the presence of a police car can get reckless drivers to slow down. But this should not be the point. It starts with building a culture of responsibility. People should feel a sense of ease when they see an officer’s car because they know they obey all the traffic laws.

I’ve had a front-row seat to the dangers of bad driving. Once, during a family trip, my uncle decided that speed limits were “suggestions” and tested the limits of his aging sedan on a curvy back road. The roads in Oklahoma are already bumpy enough. Let’s just say the experience made me a big fan of seat belts and prayer. Even a month after driver’s ed, a friend was on the phone doing the classic “knee on the wheel” trick, and when I called him out on it, he told me “I have to snap my girl real quick”. As much as I roll my eyes even now writing this, when people drive every day, it is easy to become desensitized to the fact they are aggressively zipping around in a small metal box at astronomical speeds. And when phones are added to the mix, no wonder there are so many disasters. I think the key to encouraging safe driving among my fellow Gen-Z drivers is to not forget the age-old wisdom of reducing distractions. Hint: the TikTok dance can wait.

So how do we become safer drivers? For starters, we can embrace humility. Driving isn’t the time to prove you’re the next Formula 1 champion. Simple habits like checking blind spots and avoiding picking up the phone can make a world of difference. I think driving responsibility can influence others too. Soon, you will be the person your friends trust to drive them to the away football games because they know you are a safe driver. This is a great reputation to have, and it’s about defensive driving, expecting everyone else to drive like they just got a driver’s license yesterday. I’ll keep my phone out of reach, and particularly my inner speed demon firmly in check. You don’t realize how fast your Ford F150 is truly going until you hit a tree at 20 miles per hour.

In the end, driver education is about more than just avoiding accidents—it’s about fostering respect and care for the people around us. The road is a shared space, a place where our actions can have immediate and lasting consequences. Having simple reminders of the danger (and privilege) of driving is essential for road safety. And hey, if that means enduring a few boring driver’s ed classes along the way, so be it. At least you’ll get to laugh at those hilariously outdated instructional videos.