In the Driver’s Seat

In the Driver’s Seat

Many people spend their lives in fear, even over the most unrealistic things. A person might refuse to swim in the ocean because of the fear of being attacked by a shark, or a person might not ever get on a plane because they are terrified that something will go wrong. However, people tend to overlook the one thing they do day to day, driving. In America alone, an average of 35,000 people dies from motor vehicle accidents a year. This statement provides proof that car accidents and reckless driving are the leading causes of death in the United States. One of the main reasons for these accidents is the lack of education in drivers, and there is a simple solution to this problem. New and upcoming drivers need to be better educated and trained by taking driver education classes or lessons. Drivers Ed would not only make driving safer, but it would also help in reducing the number of deaths by car accidents.

During the lessons, drivers would learn hands-on with an experienced teacher and not have to experience the pressure and anxiety of learning with parents. They could learn how to follow road signs, anticipate other’s moves, and be an observant driver. I believe that new drivers should be required to take a set number of driving lessons to ensure safe driving.

Several people take advantage of driving and never truly understand the risks. For example, my best friends’ father was crossing the road when a distracted driver struck him. Unfortunately, her dad didn’t make it through the accident because the other person thought he had enough time to take a glance at his phone. This terrible accident happened two years ago; however, it is never forgotten by us.

There must be a change to reduce the number of accidents and deaths caused by driving. As an individual, you have to start bettering yourself for the benefit of others, and you have to be the change you want to see in the world. The first step in becoming a safer driver is to eliminate all distractions. As soon as you enter your car, you should: put on your seat belt, adjust all mirrors and your seat, and set the radio to your desired station and volume. An additional thing you can do is enable automatic responses on your phone to let others know you are currently driving and unable to respond. Our brains are not capable of performing multiple tasks at once, so instead of causing yourself to struggle, you need to remove these distractions. These steps should help to keep you more focused and attentive while driving and ultimately make the roads safer for everyone. All in all, the more educated drivers we have on the road, the more lives we save.