Educated Drivers Reduce Deaths

Educated Drivers Reduce Deaths

By: Karissa Gold

Drivers ed is very important in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving. Despite past assumptions that drivers ed was not very effective, a study by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that teenagers who took state-approved drivers ed classes were less likely to get ticketed or into accidents than teens who were taught by an adult driver (Reed). Less accidents mean less deaths, making drivers ed extremely important.

To reduce the number of deaths related to driving, drivers should strive to obey all traffic laws, no matter how isolated the road may seem. The laws are made for a reason. Additionally, drivers should be aware of their own distracted driving habits and take the necessary steps to curb those habits. For example, if a driver can not stop themselves from changing the music playing from their phone, they should make a playlist of songs they never skip and stow their phone away and out of reach. Car manufactures also have a role to play in reducing driving deaths. Advanced safety systems that either prevent or cushion people from accidents are integral in reducing deaths. Of course, the single biggest thing that can reduce the number of deaths related to driving is education. People need to be ready for all types of situations they may find themselves in and techniques to avoid accidents.

Personally, I have never been in a car accident, however, my cousin lost her entire family in an accident. A drunk driver hit them on their way home. My cousin-in-law’s sisters died in her lap. She was the only one to survive, most likely due to her seat in the middle. I could not even imagine the amount of pain she lives through. I never would want to be in a situation like that, so I always strive to be as safe as possible.

Sometimes, I get distracted by the huge dust devils that pop up on the farms that surround my neighborhood or the shapes of the clouds above. I allow myself to get distracted because of the security of empty rural roads where I only share the road with a few cars at any given moment. Another distracted driving habit that I never notice happening is getting wrapped up in my own thoughts. This drives my attention from the road and adds an even higher degree of danger if it leads to driving on “auto-pilot”.

I think the best way to avoid accidents is to be mindful of distracted driving and focus on every aspect of road safely. My dad would call it, “Keeping my head on a swivel”. Keeping others accountable when you are in the passenger seat and calling them out for dangerous behavior should be routine. The most important thing I — and anyone, for that matter–can do to stop distracted driving is to be accountable and mindful of the habits that drive us to distraction.

Works Cited

Reed, Leslie. “Study: Drivers Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets | News Releases | University Of Nebraska-Lincoln”. Newsroom.Unl.Edu, 2015, https://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver%27s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets.