The Road to Zero Deaths

You’re traveling down the freeway and are approaching someone swerving. As you are trying to get around them, you glance over and see that their attention is divided between the road and their phone. We have all been in this situation or maybe even been the person texting. A study from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that 94% of all crashes are human error; the top three errors with human driving were things like recognition (being attentive and alert while driving), decision (driving too fast or illegally), and performance (poor control of the vehicle). Making a commitment to never drive imparied or distracted, to never speed or make purposeful poor driving decisions, and to have proper knowledge of the roads and your vehicle would greatly reduce the risk of being involved in a life threatening crash. Let’s assess impaired driving.

I personally know people that have driven imparied or have been hit by someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol, neither of the outcomes were positive. Not only are impaired drivers at risk of jail time or license suspension, they also risk taking someone else’s life or their own. In 2019 alone NHTSA reports 10,142 drunk-driving related deaths. Distracted driving can be just as dangerous. When you take your eyes off the road (even for a second) you may not see the wildlife crossing over the pavement or the traffic light changing to red. When you need to drive, you should be 100% committed to driving; if you are not, please stay off the roads! Attentiveness is the first key to avoiding accidents. Excessive speed is the next most common human error involving driving.

Movies such as Fast and the Furious or games like Need for Speed may be entertaining, but they don’t have real consequences to them. When the cars crash or police show up the characters seem to always come out in the clear or get a “restart”. In real life, there is no restart, you must live with the consequences of your actions. There are many popular YouTube videos of people traveling at mach 1 cutting through lanes to try and pass their friends; the ending is usually them being put in handcuffs and sent to jail. The officers arresting these individuals are not fun killers, they are life savers. People may also speed to save time, but all that time saved will be lost when you are on the side of the road awaiting your ticket. Speeding is dangerous because the roads were not designed for it and people are not expecting it. The car merging onto the freeway isn’t used to cars ignoring the flow of traffic weaving in and out. The lower the speed usually means the more chances of a conflict. Parking lots have the most conflicts, so they have the lowest speed; highways have fewer conflict points, so a higher speed limit is appropriate. Driving at the posted speed limit helps you and other drivers avoid an accident. When you have the need for speed, look into getting involved with your local raceway. Understanding the roads and your car is another important factor that will help prevent a crash.

Reaction time is critical when driving, so the better you know the rules of the road the less time you have to spend thinking or asking your friend about them when faced in a situation. Bus laws are an example of a set of rules that always slip my mind. What is the difference between the yellow and red lights and how far away do I have to stay away from the bus? We may not think these things are that big of a deal, but remember there could be up to 73 people on that bus put in danger by people not understanding these rules. You may think that your driver education is done when you pass your permit and driver’s test, but that isn’t true; you need to continue to educate yourself with the new rules of the road or refresh yourself on concepts that may have slipped your mind. Minnesota includes vehicle education as part of our driver education course. You need to know about all the functions of the vehicle you are driving, and how to operate the headlights, turn signals, throttle, brakes, and more. If you aren’t comfortable with the size of the vehicle or the transmission, practice with someone you trust until you are. If you are never comfortable with driving, be honest about it and try to get additional help. By working together and understanding all three factors, the roads will continue to be a safer place for everyone.

We have to understand that driving is actually operating a moving death trap: we must accept the full responsibilities that come with that. Making sure not to drive impaired or distracted, keeping speed at a safe level, and understanding the roads and the vehicle being driven will greatly reduce the fatalities that are caused on our streets. Our highways should not be more dangerous than war zones. My personal understanding of these three factors have helped me avoid many accidents during my beginning driving career. If others follow these principles, they will find themselves much more likely to be cruising along on the road to zero deaths.

Works Cited:

• “Critical Reasons for Crashes Investigated in the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey.” Traffic Safety Facts, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Feb. 2015, https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812115.

• “Drunk Driving.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2019, https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.