In the Driver’s Seat: Responsible Driving is a Training Issue

DmvEdu.org

In the Driver’s Seat

Responsible Driving is a Training Issue

Mara A Land

Sophomore, Gallaudet University

One of the most exciting times in life is receiving a driver’s permit. This is the ticket to freedom. When you’re lucky enough to have a car, it’s great fun to fill it with friends, turn up the music, cruise through drive-through restaurants for snacks, chase closely behind other friends, step on the gas, and squeal around corners. The fun times end, though, when there’s an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the most hazardous time for a new driver is within the first six months during unsupervised driving.

Enjoying this new freedom involves combining educated driving with intentional defensive driving.

According to a South Dakota driver accident study, drivers 19 to 24 years old were six times as likely as all drivers to read messages on electronic devices while driving and twice as likely as all drivers to type messages while driving. On July 25, 2012, 21-year-old Brent O’Neal was speeding 14 mph above the posted 35 mph speed limit in Sioux Falls. Distracted by texting, he struck three vehicles and killed a motorcyclist. O’Neal plead guilty to manslaughter. The judge scolded and sentenced him to nine years in prison with 11 years of probation. That’s only one unsafe driver off the road.

Many advocates had hoped state legislators would finally be motivated to pass a no texting while driving law. By 2012, 39 states and Washington D.C., had laws in place. Despite this information, lawmakers rejected any legislation referring to stronger safety laws as government over-reach.

8 years later, Representative Doug Barthel (R-District 10), a former police chief, sponsored legislation to address texting and driving. Initially, he was reluctant. His opinion changed after parents from Castlewood, SD contacted him. They shared the story of their son who was killed by rear-ending a truck. Jacob Dahl, 19, was distracted by taking photos with his phone while driving. “After hearing their story, it was tough for me to say no,” Barthel said. Barthel’s bill won the hearts of the legislators. Effective July 1, 2020, SDCL 32-26-47.1 reads: No person may operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

74 days after implementation of the new law, on a clear evening, in rural Highmore, South Dakota, Joe Boever walked with flashlight in hand within the shoulder of US Highway 14 towards his broken-down truck. He never returned home. His body was found the next day in the ditch. His flashlight was still on. He was hit by the South Dakota Attorney General who was distracted by browsing political websites on his cell phone. Investigators found Boever’s eyeglasses in Ravnsborg’s car. 5 months later, Ravnsborg was charged with three 2^nd class misdemeanors: operating a vehicle while using a mobile electronic device, illegal lane change and careless driving, which is $500 per misdemeanor, and 30 days maximum jail time. On August 22, 2021, Ravnsborg was cited for speeding, his seventh ticket in 7 years. He still practices law, is a politician, and holds a position of authority within government, paid the moving vehicle fines, and continues to drive as well as hold his position as the State Attorney General. He appears to remain unrehabilitated.

In 2018, the SD Department of Public Safety identified 941 crashes associated with distracted driving, which included electronic device use; in 2019, 827; and in 2020, 748. Changing habits takes time, effort, and reminders. Rep. Barthal said the purpose of his legislation “…was not to create a law where you can write a bunch of tickets and come across with a heavy hand of enforcement. It was about trying to change behaviors and hopefully save some lives and injuries as well.”

Although Rep. Barthel’s new law would not bring back Jacob, Joe, or the thousands of others killed by distracted drivers, data shows a downward trend in accidents caused by texting and driving. This means that more drivers are thinking about their actions and adjusting behavior accordingly.

MRI studies show that thoughts precede actions and behavior. When drivers are thinking about safety first, and hold in mind the safety laws, they are alert and focused on the road and the surroundings. This is defensive driving. Young drivers, especially, tend to be more impulsive, and more inclined to be self-absorbed, which means that there is more offensive driving as opposed to defensive driving. Researchers who have analyzed accident data show young drivers lack the driving experiences and fundamental skills needed to identify and safely respond to road hazards. Gaining the valuable driving skills to control a car takes concentration and practice and best learned the first time around. Athletes and musicians refer to “muscle memory” as a trained, programmed skill. Driving often, regularly, and with good guidance, including for shorter distances in a variety of weather and traffic conditions helps to build up self-confidence, “muscle memory,” and hones the fundamental skills needed to avert accidents. The bottom line, though, is that it takes quality education to do this well.

A recent study of more than 150,000 teen drivers over eight years cites that driver’s education significantly improves driver safety; that is, there is strong evidence that driver training reduces crashes and traffic violations among new drivers. In contrast, teen drivers who have not completed driver’s education are 75 percent more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24 percent of the drivers are more likely to be involved in a serious accident, and 16 percent more likely to have an accident, in general. In addition, researchers have concluded that driver training and intervention programs for older drivers shows benefits in enhanced road safety knowledge, and improved driving performance.

Despite the downward trend in overall accident data, automobile accidents still account for more deaths than heart disease, cancer, war, and home and work-based accidents. For teenagers, the primary cause of accidental deaths is the result of motor vehicle accidents. According to the CDC, auto accidents account for one in every three teen deaths. Yet, drivers of all ages must be continually re-engaged about vehicle safety through quality, updated trainings.

As for me, I have had a few incidents. My first, as a new driver, was driving too fast on a dirt road. Thankfully, the car didn’t roll, but my car was pulled into the ditch and needed to be towed. Other experiences pertained to car breakdowns, which happened in a variety of situations, including after sunset, and on busy roadways. As a result of attending a driver’s training program, I had ideas on what to do to maintain safety. Also, during high school I completed a semester long EMT class, which extensively addressed motor vehicle accidents and safety. While nobody was injured in my car breakdowns, the experiences shaped my preparedness for travel. Some of my classmates have been seriously injured in car wrecks. All were related to either distracted driving or driving too aggressively. Presently, I drive in the metro DC area where conditions are starkly different than the rural state of South Dakota. There are more drivers on the road and much more aggression in this urban area.

While many of us refer to a driver’s license as a “ticket to freedom,” it is more importantly a ticket with responsibilities, which stems from being well educated about safe driving and matched with the practice. Renew your knowledge and skills by taking a quality online training program.