How States Can Prevent Fatal Crashes

How States Can Prevent Fatal Crashes

In the United States, cities are built around cars. Whether going to work, school, or a friend’s house, most people typically have to drive a car. According to the CDC, approximately ninety people die each day in car crashes. That may not seem like a lot, but looking long-term 32,000 people are killed each year in motor accidents. A great number of systems are already in place to make driving a protected experience, but this safety can be improved upon.

For starters, many states already require that teens learning to drive spend a minimum amount of time in the car before receiving a license, which is a great idea, but the parents who are required to make such a claim can easily lie about it. If the parents lie about it, they are putting their child, an inexperienced driver at high risk for a mild bump at best, and a fatal crash at worst. Instead of adding more required hours or more signatures, the test to obtain a license should not be as simple to pass. Currently, most driver’s tests are under five minutes: just three or four turns. If the tests are something closer to between fifteen and twenty minutes, the students will be forced to show more capability behind the wheel, since more time allows for more mistakes. If teens are not able to pass a test that truly shows driving capability, they do not get to drive. Once they can spend a greater period of time behind the wheel without making mistakes, the students are ready to drive.

Next, states have already put bans on texting and driving. In 2019 Tennessee added a law that requires drivers to use hands-free devices for calls and texting. In fact, this worked; according to Tennessee Highway Patrol, distracted driving deaths in 2018 were just over a thousand, and in 2019 there were only 752 recorded. This law is a great start, but to really drop the number down, education should be encouraged as well. Rather than telling people not to use their phones while driving, explain to them specifically why they shouldn’t. States can pay for advertisements that show exactly why it’s unwise to drive distracted. If these ads are distributed, deaths from cell phone usage will certainly go down.

Furthermore, seat belts should not be a requirement. This may seem contradictory, as seat belts exist in vehicles to contain people in the event of an accident. However, if people are forced to use seat belts, in a rebellious manner, they very well may not want to, simply because it is required of them. Instead of passing more laws and adding steeper fines for seat belt offenses, as previously stated, states should invest in education. If people understand that the chances of car crash death go down by 45% (as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), then they will be more inclined to buckle up when they enter an automobile.

All in all, with so many people dying a year from car accidents, it is clear why states should invest in better license tests, distracted driving education, and seat belt education. If more Americans understood why issues regarding these topics were so lethal, maybe they’d make better choices about their driving habits.

Works Cited

“Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 July 2016, www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/motor-vehicle-safety/index.html

Cameron, Madison. “752 People Have Died on Tennessee Roads in 2019 Says THP.” WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports, 2019, www.wrcbtv.com/story/41033808/752-people-have-died-on-tennessee-roads-in-2019-says-thp.