The Future of Drivers Education and Road Safety

It can be highlighted that driving is a vital part of everyday life, whether it be driving to our jobs every day or seeing family and friends during the holidays. However, driving does inevitably carry significant risks; it can be further highlighted by the World Health Organization that “approximately 1.19 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes.” While there are many causes for the deaths that happen on our roads today, they can only be prevented in limited ways, although the crucial element in reducing these fatalities is Drives Education, which improves driving skills and fosters respectable and responsible behavior on the road. Overall, this essay aims to highlight the importance of Drivers Education in reducing driving-related deaths, the necessary steps to reduce the number of driving-related deaths, my personal experience with being a driver, and the steps I plan to take to make our roads safer.

            The essential role of driver education is to promote and teach new drivers the importance of road safety, equipping drivers with the vital skills needed to operate a vehicle responsibly. A key component of Drivers Education is teaching about drivers’ responsibilities toward others on the road. Drivers must understand how their actions affect not only their safety but the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists. For example, driver education programs emphasize the importance of yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks, using turn signals, maintaining a safe following distance, and being aware of blind spots. These lessons go beyond basic driving techniques and help instill the idea that responsible driving involves making considerate decisions that protect all road users. While Drivers Education provides the necessary resources for what it takes to become a responsible and safe driver, the critical part of Drivers Education is to express why it’s essential to be a safe and responsible driver and the consequences for those who decide not to be. It can be highlighted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that “in 2022, 3,308 people were killed, and an estimated additional 289,310 people were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers.” These staggering statistics highlight the severe consequences of distracted driving, yet they also underscore the importance of driver education in combating this issue. Drivers Education programs teach students the dangers of texting, talking on the phone, or engaging in other distractions while driving. By instilling a solid understanding of how these distractions can lead to life-altering consequences, such as injuries or death, these programs aim to create responsible drivers who recognize the critical importance of staying focused on the road. Overall, while the purpose of Drivers Education is to teach new upcoming drivers what it takes to become a safe driver, the importance of reducing the number of road deaths could be achieved by conveying the consequences of those who decide not to be safe drivers, utilizing previous experiences from individuals as lessons that could be learned from by new drivers.

            As drivers, we can be vital in spreading awareness about road safety and encouraging others to become safer drivers within our communities. One of the most effective ways to do this is by reminding those close to us to make intelligent and reasonable driving decisions. Another way is to share driving accident stories with those close to us to remind them to make safe driving decisions. While being a second-year in college and having friends who are becoming the age to drink legally, I consistently find myself sharing the same story with my friends about another friend in high school who got into a car accident and became paralyzed to the neck down, as a reminder to my college friends to drink responsibly and drive responsibly. When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a close friend who was starting their second year in college before I even had my own driver’s license. However, one of the many challenges that my friend faced in his everyday life was his battle with muscle dystrophy. That said, one evening, my friend and a group of his college friends decided to go for a drive and buy alcohol. However, one of the college friends driving already had a few drinks without the rest of the group knowing. The driver was driving under the influence, managed to lose control of the car, and crashed the vehicle into a pole, only injuring my friend with muscle dystrophy, which caused my friend to be life-flighted to the nearest hospital to be later diagnosed with being paralyzed to the neck down, forever altering his life and future. While this old friend of mine is doing better now, he is still consistently faced with the challenges of everyday tasks.

I tell this story to my current college friends not to scare them but to teach them the consequences of careless driving decisions and their impacts on us and our loved ones. Ultimately trying to use old lessons to prevent individuals from repeating the same careless choices. Overall, as a society, we can spread awareness to others to prevent poor driving decisions as a vital step to reducing the risk of our loved ones facing driving-related deaths. In addition, encouraging friends, family, and peers to attend driver education programs or refresher driving courses can help them develop the skills and knowledge needed to drive responsibly. Beyond formal education, we can also advocate for safe driving habits, such as avoiding distractions, adhering to speed limits, and never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

            While I have never been involved in a car accident, back when I was in high school, when I had my temporary driver’s license and was working on obtaining driving hours with my father to get my actual driver’s license, was when I witnessed the first car crash that happened right in front of me while I was driving. My father and I were waiting at a red light at an intersection at the top of a hill about five minutes from our house. Where a driver was trying to make a left turn on green; however, the driver was not paying attention to oncoming traffic, and another driver in oncoming traffic was speeding in the intersection. As a result, the speeding driver hit the driver, who was trying to make a left turn in the intersection. The impact of the cars colliding was so bad that both slid off the road onto the sidewalk. At this moment, I was first faced with shock, which eventually turned into my father directing me to get the car off the road, turning on our hazard lights, and getting out of the car to help the wrecked drivers while 911 was on the way. Thankfully, both drivers could walk away from the accident without any injuries. This accident that I encountered while I was trying to get a driver’s license did scare me. However, it also determined me to act to become a better and safer driver. While it did teach me the dangers of speeding and the importance of avoiding distractions while driving, it ultimately taught me that when a driver behind the wheel makes unsafe and irresponsible decisions, it can turn a vehicle into a weapon that can not only injure those but also kill individuals around us.  

            In conclusion, the steps I plan to take to make the roads that we drive on safer are rooted in my goals for utilizing my degree. As an aspiring engineer who has dreamt of working behind the scenes in the automotive industry, I plan to take whatever necessary strides it takes during my time at General Motors to contribute to the company’s goal of a “world with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion” through engineering. Overall, with my time at General Motors in the future, I hope to contribute to the company’s goals and find new innovative ways to make the everyday cars we drive more accessible and safer to help reduce the number of driving-related deaths in our forever-evolving world.