Driver safety and education

Studies show that at least 14% of crashes are caused by distracted drivers. Distracted driving can consist of many different situations such as cell phone usage, loud music, loss of attention, other objects and humans inside the vehicle, and many more. That is why the importance of drivers education is important because having the knowledge of safe driving can save many lives.

There are many different steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths that occur due to driving. One example that is seen on a daily basis is cell phone usage, which seems to be the number one cause of deaths in car accidents. The National Safety Council statistics reveal that around 390,000 injuries in accidents occur due to texting and driving. When using a cellphone while driving, one’s attention shifts from being on the road to whatever is going on in their cell phone. Drivers also tend to not be able to keep their hands on the wheel due to their need to use their cell phone. Even if one manages to keep one hand on the wheel, they tend to lose control over the wheel. Accidents that occur due to cell phone usage can be prevented by taking a call or text, adjusting any settings or music, and anything else before starting the car. Another example would be driving under the influence which can consist from alcohol to drugs. Driving under the influence is a crime, and can result in fines, license suspension, or even jail. Drivers are considered legally impaired if their blood alcohol content level is 0.08% or higher. Impaired drivers lack concentration, vision, and cannot make fast and correct judgement. Although the legal age for consuming alcohol is 21, adolescents have the highest percentage of participants in underage, illegal drinking due to factors such as stress and most importantly peer pressure. Many adolescents tend to drive and own a car; therefore, they go to places on their own without the company of someone else. Many teenagers go to parties and tend to behave and do things that are considered reckless and dangerous. A majority of them tend to just go and have fun, and others peer pressure them to do activities they normally wouldn’t partake in for their age. However, just being of legal drinking age of 21 does not guarantee safety and prevent impaired driving. Even being over the age of 21, people do not have the sense of responsibility to think of both themselves and others. To prevent the amount of accidents that occur due to driving under the influence, people should be prepared to have a designated driver or an overnight place to stay overnight to keep themselves and their surroundings safe. These are just two situations and the steps out of many that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths that happen daily due to driving.

I have had the experience of being in a car accident; however, I was not the one driving the vehicle. This situation occurred my freshman year of highschool, three years before I could learn to drive. My mom was picking me up from school, and we were on our way to the store. Then there was quite a rush of cars on the freeway because people were coming back from school and work. My mom was keeping her distance between cars, but the car in front of her suddenly hit the brakes, then causing my mom to quickly hit the brakes so she wouldn’t rear end the car in front of her. Unfortunately, the driver that was behind my mom wasn’t paying attention that my mom had hit her brakes and was coming at full speed, and then rear ended us. Fortunately, no harm was done to us or the driver behind us, only left a few dents in the back of our vehicle and totaled the vehicle that had hit us. On the other hand, I have seen some of my friends be irresponsible while operating a vehicle. This consists of them not following the speed limit, going over the speed limit, and also using their cell phones while actually driving without stopping their car or at a red light.

Steps that I personally take and will continue to in the future, and that I suggest others take as well are: keeping phones in do not disturb while driving mode, keeping music at a moderate sound level, not adjusting any equipment inside of vehicles while driving, and most importantly being aware of surroundings.