In the Driver’s Seat

On average, 34,000 people die annually due to driving. One of these thousands of people could easily be your mom, sister, best friend, or any of your loved ones. People face this tragedy daily as a result of improper or limited driver education. The importance of driver education is underestimated in today’s society and needs to be acknowledged. Increasing driver education is critical not only for teens learning to drive but for all ages who are on the road operating a vehicle. It equips drivers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and responsibilities, helping them to drive safely. Specifically, driving programs teach new and experienced drivers concepts like defensive driving. This skill helps drivers avoid dangerous situations like other risky drivers and unexpected hazards. To continue, the leading causes of car fatalities are speeding, drunk driving, or distracted driving. With the incorporation of driver education, individuals will learn to drive responsibly and understand the consequences if they do not. Overall, increasing education and reducing risky driving behaviors significantly contributes to lowering auto vehicle fatalities.

Just informing people of this issue does not solve this widespread problem. A variety of different steps can be put in place to reduce the number of fatalities related to driving. For starters, creating a more comprehensive driver education program can be key to teaching drivers more about the road. These programs should focus not only on the basic skills, but also on situational awareness and defensive driving. Although there is nothing that can truly prepare you for what you may come across on the road, incorporating more simulation activity and reviewing frequent causes of crashes may help to reduce overall mishaps on the road. To continue, on-going education is a key component that should be introduced into our society. By the time an individual is 50 years old, they have gone without any driving instruction for over 30 years. With our brain’s ability to get rusty and cognitive ability declining as we age, refresher courses should be required to help drivers stay aware of driving practices, new technology, and road laws. Another major issue that should be addressed to help reduce driving fatalities is the enforcement of traffic laws. In high-risk areas like school zones, neighborhoods, and highways, enforcing the speed limit can help reduce dangerous driving that causes accidents. Personally, I have seen many vehicles zip by me on the highway with no consequence. This is not only dangerous for the driver of that vehicle, but it also puts the people in the vehicles around them at a much higher risk. Typically, you cannot see these cars coming until they pass you due to how high their speeds are. If more officers or speed cameras were put on the road to patrol these vehicles, people would be more likely to abide by the speed limit.

In modern-day society, a major issue that has been on the rise is distracted driving, specifically due to technology. People have become addicted to using their phones, and that has overlapped into when they are driving as well. Many cannot resist picking up their device when they hear a ding to check it and reply. At speeds nearing 70 miles per hour on the highway, focusing on your phone creates a huge risk. Creating heavier penalties for being caught in this action may help to significantly decrease this problem. For most, you would rather not spend hundreds of dollars than get caught texting and driving. To continue, public awareness campaigns like social media ads and billboards are helpful to publicize this issue and the consequences that may result from it. Overall, technology has significantly increased risks on the road and resulted in higher levels of fatalities, and this needs to be addressed in our society.

I personally have been involved in a car accident that totaled my car and the other driver’s car. This occurred 18 days after my license and was due to me being flustered while driving since I was rushed and did not know the area. Because I had just gotten my license, I had also just finished my driver’s education program. In this program, we were never taught how to relax and stay calm in situations like this. If we had been, I very well may have been able to avoid this accident. Now I know the importance of staying calm and taking things slow while driving rather than feeling overwhelmed and rushed. Although no one was injured in my accident, it could have been a lot worse if I were going at higher speeds. I gained driver’s education from getting in an accident, but that is not how it should work. Drivers should not have to get into a crash to learn more about road safety, it should be more in-depth taught to them beforehand.

I very well believe that every single person who operates a car needs to be educated more about being safer on the road. I personally can take the steps of being aware of my speed and keeping myself from getting distracted when I am behind the wheel. With 34,000 people dying annually as a result of driving, that being more than the number of soldiers who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined, this is an epidemic that needs to be further addressed. I, personally, through social media and conversations can bring more awareness to this issue, but I alone cannot solve this tragedy. Society must come together to combat this as a whole, increasing awareness and driver education to anyone who takes a seat behind the wheel.