Don’t Help Statistics Grow

Road related deaths are one of the top 5 deaths in America. Traffic deaths are spiking, following the fact that in 2020, 42,060 people died in vehicle crashes. These statistics are constantly growing and the only way to prevent this is by emphasizing the importance of driver education.

Driver education should be well known all around the world. Unfortunately, America isn’t as strict on it as we hope. Each state differs on how serious they are about driving. On a scale of 1-51 (including the District of Columbia), 1 being the strictest, Delaware is first with the score of 1 and Texas being last with a score of 51. All other states fall in between these lines. It’s sad to think that not all states can take driving as cautious as Delaware. America’s goal should be for all of the U.S. states to be in a tying rank where driving is safer and less reckless.

Many studies have proven that drivers ed has successfully lowered the chances of vehicle related deaths. Drivers ed helps inform us about precautions that should be taken while driving. Without these classes you are completely clueless to the roads. Self-taught drivers are people who just know how to operate cars. That doesn’t mean you know the rules of the roads. As a teenager, I practiced driving with my parents before I took drivers ed. But once I took the class, a door opened to so many questions. Drivers ed goes through a run down of the different signs, different color lines, lights and arrows, and all their meanings. This class was greatly needed and without it I would be lost today. Honestly, I believe the government should take into consideration the idea that driver education needs to be more strictly enforced throughout the U.S.

Yet no matter how many kids take driver’s education, there will still be many who will continue to get into accidents on the road. The two leading causes of this problem are distracted driving and speeding. As a whole, we must put a stop to texting and driving. Not only texting, but changing the next song on our phone, scrolling through Instagram, snapping our friends back, or whatever else the reason is. This should not allow us to have a valid reasoning as to why we are distracted. Our phones have become such an addiction to our lives that we are willing to risk our lives over it. Another part of drivers ed is that they should strongly focus on distracted driving. I will admit that they do a good job about going over the dangers of texting and driving, but kids start to think that they can still use their phone as long as they aren’t texting. To help reduce the number of deaths due to distracted driving would be to initiate a way to get through teenagers’ heads that they shouldn’t be using their phone at all while behind the wheel. As well as speeding. People are so focused on getting to their destination so quickly, but even that’s not the case. Sometimes it’s to impress others on how fast they can go, or because of the mere fact that they are “bored” of going slow. Driver’s education should really focus on speeding. Yes, they mention that you should always go the speed limit but kids won’t listen to that. They will do it on their drivers test and that’s about it. We have to find a way to stick it in others’ brains how careless speeding is. As a country we need to set these goals to stop these causes. Without solving these problems, not being strict on drivers ed will be the least of our problems.

I have seen too many people in my own personal life speed and constantly use their phone. You can be 100% sure that when you get on the road you will see at least one person speeding; that’s how common it is. I even see kids that I go to school with swerve into other lanes or go 60 on a 45 limit road. A close friend of mine actually uses her phone nonstop while in the car with me, which honestly makes me nervous. But I will admit changes like these take time. So, one by one we need to start making changes. It doesn’t have to be huge but we can still try to make a difference. For example, I noticed that every time I get on my phone in the car, my friend who is driving gets on her phone. The human brain is programmed to do trends. So, if we ride together every day and I am on my phone in the passenger seat, it just makes her want to be on her phone. So, my small change to this is to instead have a conversation with her during the whole ride and stay off my phone. It has actually helped. Yes, she does still get on her phone but not as much. It’s a small change but at least it’s starting to help. And you can do the same. Find small things that can help you or others around you when driving. A way you can help yourself, and try to encourage others to do this as well, is to put your phone on “do not disturb” or “silent” while driving. I know it can be scary to think that something might happen and it will be harder for people to reach you but trust me, anyone who is willing to reach you won’t be able to if you are dead. In conclusion, we need to become stricter about our driver education system and help change America for the better.

Websites Used: US Traffic Deaths Spike Even as Pandemic Cuts Miles Traveled & Strictest And Most Lenient States on Speeding and Reckless Driving