A new lense on driving safety

In the United States (US), 38,000 people die and 4.4 million people are injured every year on the roads. Why is this and how did it get so bad? People lose their lives from distracted drivers and those who are uneducated in their driving skills. We must dive into the root of these fatalities to reevaluate driver education and driving laws.

A huge chunk of driving fatalities come from distracted driving. I have seen people at the wheel check their phones, eat behind the wheel , and text while coasting in traffic. These are all remorsly bad habits and dramatically increase the likelihood of a crash. According to road safety facts, 65% of people would read a text message at a stop light and 54% of people would text at a stop light. Over half of the drivers in the United States are busy doing things, such as texting, instead of focusing on the road.

An overwhelming amount of American’s on the road have lost lives each year due to unsafe driving. The US reports that 12.4/100, 000 people die on the road. In Germany, however, the death rate on the road is 4.0/100,000. Why is this? By German standards students are required to learn how to drive with a professional driving instructor. This allows new drivers to learn the most effective safe driving techniques. One study looked at the death rates on the road for low income countries, for example, low income countries reported 16 percent of the world’s deaths on the road but only 1 percent of the world’s cars. These statistics show the difference driver education can make for safer driving.

Now, there is a horrendous problem here regarding safer driving within different countries, but, how can we make it better? One of the first tasks a new driver should make a habit of is to drive with a plan: know the conditions, give yourself extra time, and have a clear sense of your route. For example, be prepared for the winter season with snow tires. In Germany, it is the law to have snow tires in the winter months. The second task to becoming a safe driver is to limit your distractions: put your phone away, don’t do makeup and don’t eat food behind the wheel. In the United Kingdom, someone can be fined if an officer finds that person’s eating is impairing their driving. Finally, we all should encourage new drivers to be taught by a professional. It can make a huge difference to learn safe effective driving techniques.

Driving is a skill that people in the US use every single day. But still, millions of people a year suffer the consequences from distracted driving and uneducated driving. As a collective society, we must work together to create a safe environment on the roads for our new drivers. New drivers shouldn’t just pass the test but practice safe driving skills everyday for years to come.