Drive Safe

Young adults need to be educated on the impact of unsafe driving. Many people are unaware of how helpful drivers education is. The statistic on car crashes are startling and can impact anyone. Being educated can help others understand the true importance of driving safely. I took drivers education and found it surprising just how long your car takes to come to a complete stop. The speed limit on the majority of the roads is 40mph. I learned that from the time you notice a stop sign coming up to the time the car comes to a complete stop it would have already traveled 118 more feet. This is the length when going 40mph. It would go further the faster the car is going which is alarming. According to a study done by researchers Duane Shell and Ian Newman, 2.1% of the people that took drivers education was involved in an accident the resulted in injury or death. 2.6% of the people that did not take drivers education was involved in an accident that resulted in injury or death. That may not seem like a big difference but it is in the grand scheme of things. If taking drivers education could reduce the chances of someone getting in to an accident that results in injury or death everyone should take drivers education.

One thing that can decrease the amount of accidents on the road is requiring everyone to take drivers education before getting a license. Everything involves money and some schools are not able to offer drivers education for free. I think that the schools that do offer drivers ed for free should continue. The DMV should offer it for those that are not able to take it at school. It should not be taken away from the schools and should be offered at both locations. The DMV should have the opportunity to get additional funding to offer it for free. If those schools that can offer it for free continue then the funding would not be so scarce for the DMV.

I know first-hand how severe unsafe driving is. I have never been in an accident but my cousin was. He was a passenger and suffered critical injuries. He was going home late one night and there was a curve coming up. The driver was going way above the speed limit and did not slow down. The car flipped three times which left my cousin unconscious. When he got to the hospital the doctors diagnosed him with a spinal cord injury. It was so severe he can only move his neck now. My cousin and his friend thought they were invincible. This is the idea that many young adults have. My cousin had to learn the hard way that no one is invincible. He chose to practice unsafe driving and is now suffering the consequences. I have seen my family dynamics change drastically because of this. Choosing to practice safe driving can decrease the chances of enduring a traumatic incident.

One way I can be a better driver on the road is by being aware how crucial safe driving is. Data is always being updated and taking the time to check on the data is important. The statistics are reliable and should be taken seriously. I have always told myself to do the thing that would leave you part of a positive statistic. I can help others be a better driver by keeping them updated. I can share the information I know with them. I can also share my personal story with those that would listen. Even if it does not resonate with them it will get them talking. Another thing I can do is encourage them to be part of the positive statistic. If enough people choose to practice safe driving the data will be positive. I can explain the significance of positive data.

Citation

http://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver%27s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets