How To Change the World of Driving

Dyson Bingham

What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving?

The importance of drivers education over the past few years has become increasingly apparent to most of us, but most of all to those of us who live in Utah. Under all of the stress that we have passed through this year the last thing that we need to worry about is deaths due to the lack of drivers education. According to a local Utahn newspaper named The Standard Examiner, “UDOT’s 2020 report shows that 102 people died on Utah roads during the 100 Deadliest Days this year, up from 61 fatalities during the same time frame in 2019. “It’s generally in line with what we’ve seen before,” Gleason said. “But that’s still really a staggering number.” John Gleason who was interviewed is a spokesperson for UDOT (Utah’s Department of Transportation) he continues to describe that as education about driver safety continues to increase the going trend continues in the down direction, but it’s still an alarming number (1).

Overall these statistics aren’t just statistics; they are human beings who have lost their lives, family members who will never see their loved ones come home. Due to this increase in driver education we’re finally seeing a decline in these tragic moments in our everyday lives.

What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving?

Obviously education is a major factor in this as previously stated, but I would also like to add the reduction in distracted driving can eliminate most of the accidents that wouldn’t have happened if full attention had been given to the road. As technology becomes evermore intertwined with everyday life and everything we have from the airplanes to self driving cars we tend to lose a little bit more of our self control, even when operating a 4,000 pound machine traveling up to 80 miles an hour. Across the United States in 2018 was found that, “over 2,800 people were killed and an estimated 400,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver”. Not to mention that roughly 1 in every 5 people who died in these crashes involving a distracted driver they weren’t even in vehicles! These were pedestrians, or those out enjoying the fresh air, or spending time with their families on bike rides (2).

Besides these, there are innumerable statistics on the role that cell phones play in these accidents as well. I theorize that the integration of technology could also help to decrease these problems, and that is because of the strength of censors or other programs such as Forward-Collision Warning (FCW) or Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB). This detailed report from Consumer Reports explains all of the technology that is being used by tech companies to reduce driving deaths and also avoid all of the reckless, nonsensical accidents (3).

Have you ever had an experience of being in a car accident or have seen your friends or family members driving irresponsibly?

This is the part of the essay where the statistics meet reality. We all probably have a relationship with someone who has experienced some moments of grief or sadness due to somebody driving irresponsibly and my family is no different. Before I was born and many of the regulations that we have in place today were created my uncle had an accident that reshaped his entire life. One Sunday night he was driving around and taking in the common sights of his small town and the beauty that Utah has to offer, and as usual he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt. In this time it wasn’t as big a deal because it was commonly thought that accidents involving people not wearing seatbelts happened to other people, they were never supposed to happen to us. As he was pulling up to an intersection on his drive home an unusual sight appeared as a semi truck came barreling down the usually empty street.

In the cab of the truck was an interstate driver who carried freight all across the US. He had stopped off at a local bar and had a few too many to drink and thought he was still traveling on the freeway and so he was starting to speed up to the limit. Then he suddenly crossed over the centerline and blew through a red light and ran directly into my uncles car. From this accident he was taken directly to the hospital by helicopter and was almost pronounced dead in the hospital. He was in a coma for a few weeks, and when he finally came out from the coma he was in a complete vegetative state. No longer able to pronounce more than a few words, and lost complete control of his body. Requiring him to be contained to an automated wheel chair for the rest of his existence on this earth. The irresponsibility of one person has created a situation from which took my family years to recover. Any action of irresponsibility behind the wheel is too much and needs to be limited if not eliminated completely.

What steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road?

I have been thinking about this since I found out about this essay, and realized that there are quite a few things that I could do to improve. We all obviously have areas that could allow us to improve a lot more, and one of those for me would be the volume at which I listen to music while driving. For me I always love to listen to fun songs and drive around performing my own concert in my vehicle.

At times it gets a little crazy and I take my focus off of the obviously important activity that I’m doing at that time. Don’t even get me started on trying to find a good song to listen to as well. I truly believe that the only way to improve anything is to recognize what action is inhibiting us and then find practical solutions to changing it. Now that I realize it I am going to take more caution while driving and already have a playlist loaded so that I don’t have to look down at my phone to find a fun driving song. If you see me driving around singing at the top of my lungs you’ll now notice my eyes locked on the road and improving my driving skills one day at a time.

1. Shaw, Mitch (2020, September 16). Despite significant reductions in overall traffic, Utah fatalities up nearly 70% during 100 Deadliest Days. Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.standard.net/news/transportation/despite-significant-reductions-in-overall-traffic-utah-fatalities-up-nearly-70-during-100-deadliest-days/article_6b649c3a-9083-5364-af17-3fda39e3c636.html

2. Disease Control, C. (2020, October 26). Distracted Driving. Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/Distracted_Driving/index.html

3. Consumer Reports, J. (2020). Technology That Can Reduce Driving Distractions and Their Dangers. Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/technology-that-can-reduce-driving-distractions-dangers-car-safety-features/