The Dangers of Driving

The Dangers of Driving

According to the US Highway patrol, there are on average about 16,438 car crashes per day in the US. Unfortunately in the world we live in today, with almost every aspect of our lives involving technology, sometimes there is just no way to avoid the dangers of the road. While any and all motor companies are working around the clock to improve the safety and stability of the vehicles they produce, most of the time it comes down to who is behind the wheel, and whether or not they are taking the necessary precautions of driving on the road.

One of the most common causes of car crashes these days is texting while driving. According to the National Safety Council, one out of every four car crashes in the United States is caused by texting and driving, and according to the Pew Research Center about 96% of Americans now own a cell phone of some kind. While many phone companies such as Apple and Samsung are trying to make improvements to their products and trying to reduce the number of people using their cell phone while driving, unfortunately there are still many ways the average person can access their phone while driving and the improvements that the cell phone companies have made to their products has made little to no difference when it comes to the amount of distracted drivers on the road today. This means that it is up to our own self conscience to make the decision on whether or not to pick up our cell phone to read a text or change the music we are listening to because every time we do so we are increasing our own risk of being injured or killed in a car crash.

According to NHTSA in 2018, there were 10,511 people killed in car crashes that were associated with driving while intoxicated. Driving while intoxicated not only includes driving under the influence of alcohol but under the influence of drugs as well. Driving while intoxicated is one of the most dangerous things that a person could do on the road, and it not only affects you as a driver, but it also affects everyone around you. Unfortunately, even though it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, driving while intoxicated still seems to be a huge issue not only in the US, but throughout the rest of the world as well. In 2018 alone one person was killed every 50 minutes in the US while driving under the influence. Driving under the influence is deadly and cannot be stressed enough that it should not continue to happen, because the consequences are not worth the risk.

There are many necessary precautions that one should take to not only make themselves safer while on the road but also all of the drivers around them. For example one should always follow the rules of the road even when it may seem like there is no one else around because you never know if a car is going to come around a corner or up a hill. You could also prevent car crashes around you by following the speed limit because going too fast or too slow can endanger not only your life but can be a danger to those around you as well. These are just some of the simple ways that one can prevent the amount of car crashes that happen around them and they can not only keep themselves safe but those around them same as well.

In conclusion there are many dangers when it comes to driving on the road including distracted driving, driving while intoxicated, and not following the rules of the road. While these are all very serious issues in our country today, they can be easily fixed by stopping to think before you get behind the wheel, because you never know what is going to happen after you turn the key in the ignition.