What We Tolerate on the Road

Olivia Woodall

The importance of safe driving is clear to me, living on the road that I do.

My neighborhood is not located next a busy highway, or any major hub in the area. It is a suburban street just shy of the city limits. However, it is a popular road to speed through for drivers cutting through to the next street and the residents of the neighborhood alike. For some reason, it is very popular raceway despite being as far away from busier areas as it is. Further down the road from my house, the path becomes very twisty, riddled with deer, and increases in the number of blind curves. This section of the road is where drivers really try to outdo themselves with their level of carelessness. To make matters worse, our neighborhood is not like others nearby: tricked out with speed bumps, sidewalks for pedestrians, or frequented by cops to keep drivers in check. So, there have been several accidents involving both drivers and pets along this stretch of road.

This all has been a frustration to me and my mother for as long as we have lived here.

Education in technical proficiency alone is not enough. There has to be a greater level of understanding as to why these rules are so important, as well as a greater accountability in our communities for poor behavior.

While I know education about driving safety and legalities is essential to having competent drivers, there needs to be an emphasis on creating compassionate and aware drivers. Most reckless driving seems to come from a place of entitlement and lack of consideration for the self and for others. Many people get so caught up in their daily lives: wanting to get somewhere quickly, wanting to be the first in the line at the red light, running late for work again, and whatever else it is that they are feeling pressured into abandoning caution for. However, if there were an emphasis for these issues in driver’s education—because everyone will eventually deal with them at some point or another—then maybe at least a few more people will stop to consider being so careless. By discussing these smaller moments and teaching drivers how to reframe their mindset, it may help drivers to not only be technically competent, but to encourage the use of critical thinking skills on the road.

Lastly, the other aspect that would improve driving conditions is a greater level of accountability. Neighborhoods should be given measures such as speed bumps and a more frequent level of scrutiny from the local authorities to keep drivers in check. More often than not, tucked away roads like mine are popular with speeders because no one is around the make sure they don’t speed through them. As my father once told me, “Locks don’t keep burglars out. Locks keep honest people honest.” The roads might be a lot safer if we changed the narrative about what driving behaviors we tolerate.