Driving for Life

Driving for Life

According to Edgar Snyder and Associates “auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teens ages 15 to 20 and when teen drivers ride with other passengers, their risk of being in a fatal car crash doubles.” Based on these dangers, the learnings in the classroom are critical for laying the groundwork for safe driving. Unfortunately, most programs last only six weeks if they are part of a driver’s education program at high school. In other states, like mine, driver’s education consists of six hours of instruction on the road, with a cursory overview of safety tips like check under the car to make sure nothing is broken. Rarely is there any emphasis on driver safety or driver responsibility. The good driver education programs, however, focus on the rules of the road and the how- tos of making a turn, parallel parking, changing lanes and other mechanical aspects of driving. In some cases, students are shown videos or told stories of tragic accidents as means to reinforce adherence to basic safety rules like no texting while driving, wearing seat belts, maintain a safe distance, and don’t drink and drive. Yet even after decades of instruction, these programs have not resulted in producing better drivers. The lessons of the classroom are quickly forgotten, especially by teens who equate the ability to drive with the freedom to fly. The young forget that with great power comes great responsibility and the act of driving is a dangerous privilege. 

Driver safety, or rather safe driving is an attitude, not a skill that can be learned. Over the past fifteen years, my mom has been in three accidents, totaling two cars in the process. None of the accidents were her fault. Twice she was struck from behind and the third time she was struck from the side when the driver of the other vehicle did not obey a STOP sign. Fortunately, no serious injuries occurred in any of the accidents, but each accident is just a reminder of what could possibly happen even if you are careful. Safe driving benefits not just the driver but others on the road as well. Safe driving is a social responsibility. 

Reflecting on the driving behavior of my parents, I realized they do not cause accidents because of their attitude. Neither engages in aggressive driving, needless lane changes, or a desire to speed beyond what traffic conditions can allow. Moreover, my father always says, it is not just the road you need to pay attention to, you also need to pay attention to what other drivers are doing at all times and anticipate what they might do. Speeding can only get you to your destination a few minutes faster, if all goes well, and if all does not go well, you may never reach your destination. But with the right attitude, we may all reach our destinations safely.

Good driver education programs should provide the skills to maneuver safely in and out of traffic, but they should also focus on developing the right attitude, and the right behaviors. Unfortunately, developing the right behaviors takes time. The short duration of current programs means young drivers are turned over to their parents or guardians, who themselves may not have the right attitude. Based on the National Center for Health Statistics, vehicle accidents is the leading cause of death among teenagers, representing over 33% of all deaths. Yet the time, energy, and resources needed to prevent these deaths are minimal, or in some cases, non-existent. In an effort to reduce teenage fatalities due to vehicular accidents greater effort and resources need to be applied to develop the right attitude and behaviors among teenage drivers. For starters, a national program that aims to include driver education and training under the supervision of a trained professional for a period of one year should be mandated as part of the high school curriculum. The cost of implementing such a program can be funded by imposing a nominal tax on the sale or resale of new and used vehicles. According to Staista in 2019, 40.8 million light vehicles were sold in the US with an additional 17 million new vehicles. Imposing a nominal tax of $100 on new vehicle sales and $50 on used vehicle sales would generate over $370 million dollars to fund the program. The benefits would be better drivers on the road and lower insurance costs for parents to bear for their teenager drivers insurance since the risk of accidents will be lower. This is a Win for everyone.