Behind the Wheel

Behind the Wheel

Where I live, irresponsible drivers are common to see. At night you can always hear the sound of tires screeching from afar. And if you’re at the right place at the right time, you could witness a drag race in a busy intersection. Around ninety-seven percent of people died due to irresponsible drivers in my state. So the question many ask is, how do we reduce the number of deaths related to driving?

One of the main things to do is take driver’s education. According to a 2015 study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, young drivers, who haven’t completed driver’s education, are 75 percent more likely to get a traffic ticket. Their also 24 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident. They also state that “2.1 percent of the driver’s education group was involved in an accident that caused injury or death, compared to 2.6 percent of those who did not take driver’s education.” So by taking and completing driver’s education, you are less likely to be in a fatal or injury accident and preventing yourself from getting multiple traffic tickets. Something else you can do is be aware of your surroundings and not get distracted, especially by electronics. The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving. One out of every four car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving. Lastly, don’t drink and drive. A 2014 study says that an adult driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than a sober driver. Young adult drivers (ages 21-34) with a 0.08 BAC are twelve times as likely to be in a fatal car crash than drivers who haven’t had alcohol.

I’ve learned that to be a better and safer driver on the road. We should do the following steps. One, stay off the phone while driving. If the call is important, pull over to the side of the road before answering or making a call. Two, never drink and drive. It interferes with your vision and eyesight. It’s safer to get a friend who doesn’t drink to come along in case you do get drunk. Three, learn the rules of the road properly to avoid getting a ticket. It also prevents you from doing anything that puts you in a dangerous situation. By taking these steps and doing driver education, you are preventing yourself and others from being severely injured.

Works Cited

https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html#:~:text=The%20National%20Safety%20Council%20reports,caused%20by%20texting%20and%20driving.

https://www.verywellmind.com/drunk-driving-the-dangers-63002

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

https://www.wpr.org/report-within-5-years-african-american-auto-deaths-double-wisconsin