Behind The Wheel: Safety First

Veronica Gaspar

October 27, 2020

2020 Drivers Education Essay Contest

Behind The Wheel: Safety First

Driving a vehicle has become a huge part of society’s daily lives, and though it may have its perks, it also has deadly consequences if drivers are not careful. According to Policy Advice; 1.35 million people die due to road accidents worldwide every year, that is 3,700 deaths a day! Car crashes have actually become the 8^th leading cause of death for people globally.

Driver education is extremely important in reducing the number of deaths while on the road. Having the education for something as dangerous as operating a vehicle allows the driver to be more comfortable and confident. Driver education teaches how to approach different kinds of situations that one may experience on the road, so that they know how to deal with them ahead of time. Also, knowing all of the road signs, and how to abide by them, can prevent accidents. Researchers have actually said, “Teens taking driver education are less likely to be involved in crashes or to receive a traffic violation during their first two years of driving” (Reed).

Though most countries require people to obtain driver education prior to operating a vehicle, more steps should be implemented to bring these statics down. Steps we can take as a community to reduce the number of deaths related to driving would be to bring more awareness to reckless driving, and their consequences. Reckless driving can mean a number of things, whether it be under the influence, driving when tired, texting or driving, being distracted in any way, etc. Distracted driving is actually a leading cause of accidents, causing 25-50% of all crashes (Policy Advice). Also, we should require those who already have obtained their license, to have driver education continuously throughout their years of driving. Steps drivers can follow to lower their chances of being in or causing an accident would be to; drive rested, obey the traffic laws, avoid distractions, and absolutely no alcohol or drugs.

I unfortunately have had the experience of being in a car accident. However, I was lucky enough for it to be a minor one. My family and I were on our way back from the beach in traffic, and a driver who was distracted on their phone rear-ended us. The car bounced from impact and hit us twice. My head hit the back of the seat in front of me due to the forceful impact. I am, however, lucky enough to not have experienced a major car accident. I know friends of my age that have died in car crashes due to distractions from other drivers. My best friend was also in a major car accident – the driver who hit them was driving while intoxicated. Their parents, who were in the front of the vehicle, are still suffering from their injuries two years later, physically and mentally. Seeing or hearing about these experiences have really opened my eyes and encouraged me to be extra safe while driving, for myself and drivers around me.

To conclude, driver education is a major key in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving, as it may limit accidents. Despite driver education being a requirement to drive in countries such as the U.S., this is not enough. The statistics show this. Driver education needs to be continuous to drivers, and people need to take more precations when driving a vechile. Awareness is also a huge help as well; because hearing or seeing tragic experiences due to people’s recklessness, has scared me straight into driving safe.

Works Cited

Reed, Leslie. “Study: Driver’s Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets.” News Room, 2015, newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver’s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets#:~:text=%22Teens%20taking%20driver%20education%20are,these%20reductions%20are%20especially%20meaningful.

Sandeep. “How Many People Die in Car Accidents?” PolicyAdvice, 24 Sept. 2020, policyadvice.net/insurance/insights/car-accidents/.