Accident Prevention and Roadway Safety

Accident Prevention and Roadway Safety

It is rarely acknowledged the risk we take when we get behind the wheels or our cars. We hear the statistics and see the accidents, but there’s a mental disconnect many people have that tells them those things only happen to bad drivers. They feel overly confident when they drive, believing that they’re driving skills are all that they need to stay safe. The reality of it is there are many factors completely out of our control that can create incidents on the road.

Comprehensive driver education is paramount to reducing the number of deaths on the road. Years ago, I was in the car while a friend who had recently obtained their license drove and was shocked when they turned on a red left arrow. They believed the red arrow was like a stop sign, and they were allowed to turn if it was clear. They had their license for nearly a year at that point, and I couldn’t believe that was how they were driving. Knowing all the rules of the road is of the utmost importance when it comes to safety. However, training behind the wheel with an instructor helps create the skills necessary to foster safer driving habits that can’t be measured nor obtained with only a written test.

There are many factors that cause car accidents that can lead to fatal consequences, such as inclement weather and poor road conditions, if you’re practicing safe habits such as wearing a seat belt and not speeding, and the condition of other drivers, like whether they’re impaired or distracted. The personal safety measures you take when behind the wheel are the only one’s you can control. Everything else requires you to be a defensive driver. Being a defensive driver doesn’t mean being hesitant or overly cautious, but being observant and aware of your surroundings as well as the position, intentions, and actions of other drivers. The approach the government takes can also help mitigate car accident deaths. The department of transportation maintains road quality. The department of education can push for more education for high school students, for example, my high school required a driver’s ed course to graduate. And police departments can patrol the roads more vigorously, to cite people for traffic infractions such as speeding or not wearing a seatbelt. Making the roads safer for everybody needs to be a cohesive effort by all drivers and the lawmakers creating and enforcing rules.

My father is a police officer and has more hours of classroom and behind-the-wheel driving training than anyone I know. Despite his dozens of hours of training, he has also been in more accidents than anyone I know, including multiple fender benders and a crash that broke his ribs. He’s the embodiment of the overly confident driver I first described. He speeds, doesn’t wear a seatbelt, and uses his phone while he drives. He can drift around corners, perform tight U-turns at speed, and never gets flustered in wet or icy conditions, but he doesn’t follow the basic safety protocols that are designed to keep us safe and that he is supposed to be enforcing. Being a good driver isn’t about what you’re able to do with your car, but the concerted efforts taken any time you sit behind the wheel to ensure the safety of yourself and everyone you share the road with. This is something that every new driver should be taught and experienced drivers should be reminded of if ever they faulter.