The Hidden Dangers of Driving

With a staggering average of 34,000 Americans dead each year at the hands of driving, in two years outpacing the total American soldier deaths in the 23-year long conflict in Vietnam, driving is morbidly serious. I myself have had my driver’s license for just over a year and a half and can easily recall the impact of Drivers Education, and how it impacted my earliest moments of driving.

Drivers Education had many fields of focus over the 6-week period, but the constant highlight was safety, no matter the form, wearing seat belts as we sat in our desks watching infographics of the many, and I mean many, dangers of driving from train tracks, gas fires, car maintenance, water levels, ice, and snow threats. We were given homework packets on safety, and listened to the tales of car crash survivors, sometimes from the families that lost loved ones from accidents. The most import part of Drivers Education is its impact on the mindset of many young drivers like me. I never wanted to drive; in fact, I only went because my mom asked me to. But I could feel the classroom atmosphere change as we learned about the hidden dangers of driving: the families impacted, the steep cost, jail time, injuries, and lifelong effects accidents and reckless driving leaves. Drivers Education is so important, teaching the youth every detail of car ownership, laws, and most importantly, safety. Because of the lessons learned in Drivers Education, our youth are safer, more responsible, and more defensive drivers, saving countless lives.

Aside from the six weeks in class in order to obtain a driver’s license in the state of Wisconsin, where I reside, you must drive twelve times with an instructor, and fifty hours with a supervising adult, for most that means their parent or guardian. Ten of those fifty hours must be during the nighttime. This vigorous set of requirements leads teens, such as myself, to be better equipped for when they must drive on their own.

wDuring my first weeks of driving, I was so high strung, white knuckles as I gripped the wheel, mind racing to make sure I did not miss one single detail of what my instructor, Mr. Foresight, taught me. My mom would make me drive the full two hours one-way to the twin cities many times over, even once in a fierce blizzard to ensure that I would be able to handle everything on my own. For, numerous hours, she attentively watched over me, from empty parking lots, to the bustling city. Calm, proper guidance from our parents plays a vital role in molding safer drivers. I drove trucks, cars, and vans, experienced fish tailing, black ice, feet of snow, mud, and gallons and gallons of water. As is the case for most, if not all things in life, with practice I was not so nervous anymore. It became a mondain event; just an everyday event. Now, I have to drive to school every day, and there is nothing stressful about it. As they say, “Perfect practice makes progress.” It’s about how you practice, not just how much. Lots of driving without the proper attention and guidance can cause poor habits to form.

Instilling the severity of driving in the youth, is the first step in reducing the number of deaths. But as you drive for a while, the seriousness drops into the background. Experienced drivers need to remind current drivers of their responsibility. The highway signs I see on freeways are an excellent example, cleverly reminding each driver how they hold their life, as well as the lives of their friends, family, and community in their hands. Determining the leading causes of crashes can help us as a community understand what information would have the largest impact on lowering fatality rates among drivers.

By striving to be a safe and defensive driver, I can do my part in reducing the massive number of deaths. By not taking risks, following the laws, and practicing responsible driving, I can do my best to ensure that I do not cause any accidents. When I am in a car, I can help remind the driver to be safe and do the things for him/her that might otherwise distract her, like change the music, work the temperature for them, and so on. If we all do our part, then the number of accidents both small and deadly will plummet.

In conclusion, the only way deaths will go down is if everyone does their part to prevent it. Through thorough Drivers Education, practice, and focus when driving, we can save countless lives, and help so many families avoid the fate many have suffered. Drive defensively; save lives.