A retrospective on driving 2 years and 25,000 miles later.

Driving is something that most of us do every day, especially in the United States, where most of the country’s transportation infrastructure revolves around personal motor vehicles and highway systems. But it is also one of the most dangerous things we do. Every year, thousands of people die in car crashes, and millions of dollars are spent on research and action to lower that number. However, until we remove the human factor completely, safety on the road will mostly come down to personal responsibility, the discipline to maintain full control of one’s vehicle and the art of approaching driving with a wise and careful attitude, considerate of others on the road.

As someone who absolutely loves driving, I see it as more than just a way to get from point A to point B it’s an experience, a sense of freedom, a connection between man and machine, which in part has influenced my passion for engineering, in fact my passion for motor vehicles is so high I went out of my way to also get a motorcycle license in order to fully experience the open road, however I am not blind to the risks I expose myself to everytime I pull out of my driveway, as I am not just relying on just my own abilities but those of my fellow commuters as well and the only way to ensure everyone on the road knows what they’re doing is through the carefully crafted and regulated issuing of driver licenses and the education required prior to issuing. When people learn how to drive properly, understand the rules of the road, and practice safe driving habits, they are less likely to get into accidents. Driver education helps people understand the dangers of reckless driving, drunk driving, and not paying attention to the road. It teaches new drivers the right way to react in dangerous situations and makes sure they know how to be responsible behind the wheel. More than that, it instills respect for the power of a vehicle because once you’ve felt what a car is capable of, you realize how quickly things can go wrong if you’re not careful. Beyond education, there are many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. One way is to have stricter laws on things like phone use while driving and speeding. Instead of a guilty pleasure, speeding should be viewed as a serious offense. I’ll admit, there’s a thrill in pressing the accelerator and watching the world fly past you while blasting music but I’ve learned to respect the limits and always maintain a healthy sub estimation of my driving ability utilizing safe driving practices and awareness no matter how many hours i’ve got behind the wheel not just for my own safety, but for everyone else on the road. Another great step that relies less on the personal responsibility of strangers is improving road conditions and ensuring there are enough signs and signals to help drivers, alongside better civil engineering to make sure traffic moves smoothly and safely. Predictable and well-designed roads can be the difference between a close call and a fatal mistake. Holding others accountable for their irresponsibility in day-to-day life is another great step toward a safer future. Humans being social animals are always subconsciously looking for the approval of their peers, if a society glorifies going fast and having dangerous levels of overconfidence the behavior of drivers will reflect that, however if as a collective nation we work to establish a culture of safety , responsibility and respect for others on the road it is human nature for drivers to adopt these customs and drive bettor, smoother and safer which eventually will reflect onto the statistics and survivability of our roads. I have never been in a serious car accident, but I have seen people drive irresponsibly. One night, on a road trip back from an amusement park in Georgia I was in the passenger seat when a friend of mine, driving carelessly, made a potentially fatal mistake, he merged onto the wrong side of the highway. Only after realizing his error did he quickly cross a grassy median to correct himself. He laughed it off, saying it could happen to anyone, but I knew better. That little lapse in judgment could have easily killed everyone in the vehicle.

No matter how many training and safety measures we include human error will always be present as long as people are behind the wheel, and although we can never eliminate traffic deaths completely with our current technology we can most definitely minimize them through simple steps and a slight shift in America’s attitude towards driving. I myself am in the process of fully embracing these practices and am actively attempting to spread this wise approach to driving to my friends and family.