Cutting Down Car Crash Casualties

Ebube Ezennaya

1 August 2020

Cutting Down Car Crash Casualties

I had dreamed of being able to drive myself for as long as I could remember. However, now that I am officially a licensed driver and have been driving on the road for over a year, I now realize that driving is not all fun and games like I had previously conceived it to be. Instead, I understand that the act of driving incorporates several different components to create a safe experience for everybody involved, and a big part of this safety is thanks in part to drivers ed, which helps to reduce and even prevent the number of deaths from driving.

Fortunately, several steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. As described by The National Safety Council (NSC), drivers (and passengers) need to apply what is known as a “Safety 360° mindset.” Some of these steps include always ensuring that you and all of your passengers buckle up, never driving while under or with the influence, never overestimating your ability to multitask while driving, always remember that there are several distractions that you can fall to, and never believe that it can never happen to you. All of these steps and more can be taken to help reduce the number of driving-related deaths.

I hate to admit it, but I have experienced my friends and family members driving irresponsibly. From texting while driving to eating while driving to even having no hands on the steering wheel, I have experienced my fair share of irresponsible driving. Luckily, none of these encounters ended up in a car accident. At first, it might have seemed funny and harmless at the time. However, now that I have undergone drivers ed, I now know that these actions were extremely unsafe not only for us that were in the car but also to others who were on the road and were definitely not worth the risk that was taken and now strive to ensure that myself and others understand this vital truth.

One step that can be taken to be a better and safer driver is to drive defensively. While I was learning how to drive, my father frequently told me to drive defensively. I, first, found it annoying to hear the same thing repeatedly, but now that I have experienced a healthy amount of “not-so-defensive drivers,” I now understand why it is so essential. Like my father told me when driving, you have to have the mindset that you are the only sane driver as you never know what any other drivers could be doing. For example, they could be texting while driving or even asleep at the wheel. You never know what is happening behind the wheel of other cars; thus, you have to aim to drive as defensively as possible. In conclusion, to reduce the deaths from driving – especially in teens, it is crucial to realize that with great power comes great responsibility, which couldn’t be more exemplified than through drivers ed.

Works Cited

“Drivers ed.” Dictionary.com, 2020, www.dictionary.com/browse/driver-education. Accessed 31 July 2020.

Vergnano, Mark. “How do we prevent motor vehicle deaths?” NSC, National Safety Council, 18 Feb. 2019, www.nsc.org/safety-first-blog/how-do-we-prevent-motor-vehicle-deaths-. Accessed 31 July 2020.