Accidents Do Not Happen, They Are Caused: Importance of Safe Driving

Car accidents are the leading cause of death in the United States for people aged one through fifty-four. They are also the leading cause of unnatural deaths for American citizens. These facts are very concerning considering the United States has just recently been hit hard by a pandemic killing over 750,000 Americans and it is not even near the number of deaths caused by crashes. The main causes for car accidents include driving intoxicated, driving distracted, reckless driving, and simply just being uneducated on the rules of the road. All of these causes can easily be prevented by taking preventative measures such as driver’s education. These courses will prepare and warn drivers of the risks making them cautious and less likely to carry out these actions. A study conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that “Teens taking driver education are less likely to be involved in crashes or to receive a traffic violation during their first two years of driving,” the researchers concluded. “Because teen crashes and fatality rates are highest at ages 16-18, these reductions are especially meaningful. Driver education appears to make a difference in teen traffic outcomes at a time when risk is highest.” This proves that in the long run taking driver’s education will be worth your time to prevent hurting yourself and other drivers on the road. Although there will still remain many deaths due to driving there are steps that can be taken to reduce this number of deaths.

In my opinion after reading current studies I think the most important step in reducing car accident deaths that we can all take is wearing a seatbelt. As a driver or passenger, this should be the number one thing you do when getting into any vehicle. The CDC states that “wearing a seatbelt can reduce the risk of death by 45%, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%.” Those are seriously high numbers that can easily be demonstrated. They also found that “Seat belts prevent drivers and passengers from being ejected during a crash. People not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash. More than 3 out of 4 people who are ejected during a fatal crash die from their injuries.” Seat belts save thousands of lives each year, and increasing use would save thousands more. “Seat belts saved almost 13,000 lives in 2009. If all drivers and passengers had worn seat belts that year, almost 4,000 more people would be alive today.” With that being stated, wear your seatbelt!

Additionally, raising awareness of the dangers of driving while intoxicated may help to reduce the number of deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents. Bankrate.com states, “Drunk driving causes more than 10,000 deaths every year, about 1/3 of all traffic-related deaths.” With this being one of the leading causes of all traffic-related deaths I believe this is an easy fix because there are many ways to prevent drunk driving. First off you can get a designated driver. It is your preference to drink alcohol if you are of age but thinking you are going to be driving yourself home afterward is just not an option. This may not be the most convenient alternative but if it saves your life it is worth it. Another way to prevent not drinking and driving are to quite simply just not give in to peer pressure and drink. If you do not have a safe way to get home do not drink. It is that simple.

While the number of car accidents is drastically high I am fortunate enough to have never experienced a heart-wrenching one. The only “accident” I have been in was in a parking lot. I was backing out of my parking spot slowly as the person behind me gunned it right into the back of my car. We both got out of our cars and my car was the only one with damage. The man proceeded to drive away before we could say anything. I continued to call the police and this was labeled as a “Hit and Run”. Taking driver’s education I knew of the rules that included calling the police to the scene and not leaving until told to. Leaving the scene of an accident you were involved in is illegal and you can be charged. Another car accident that I have heard a lot about involved a man from my church. He had just been broken up with and he didn’t know what to do with himself. He drank an absurd amount of alcohol and got into the car. First of all, driving while intoxicated is never ok but driving while upset is very frowned upon also. In driver’s education, I was taught to never get behind the wheel if you are upset, excited, or nervous. When this young man had gotten into the car he just started driving and he ended up getting onto the exit ramp and was driving the wrong way on the interstate that had a speed limit og 80 miles per hour. There was a semi-truck ahead of him and he was crushed. This story completely destroyed many of the families in my town. Citizens here will never forget it and we are continuously reminded of the tragic event.

Since I was younger I have witnessed irresponsible driving and I didn’t even know it. For instance, I had seen my parents trying to text and drive numerous times and until I became older I never really thought about the serious dangers that they are putting them, me, and other drivers in. Another irresponsible driving habit I have seen is not wearing your seatbelt which is very harmful to yourself. Following is the worst driving habit I have heard is intoxicated driving. I was not in the car but I heard of someone in my class who was driving drunk and rolled into the ditch. He was luckily wearing a seatbelt and he was not harmed. Lastly, is reckless driving. I live in South Dakota which means the winter season hits us hard. When the roads are fully covered with ice and snow, boys being boys, like to go as fast as they can and drift. This leads to accidents in the ditches, hitting signs, hitting stoplights, and hitting other cars. From experiences near me, there has never been any sort of luck with drifting on the ice.

Steps to take to help yourself and others become better drivers include staying focused and alert. Doing this will help you to prevent causing accidents yourself but also watch others on the road and know how to handle bad drivers. Also paying attention to your surroundings will help you to prevent accidents by knowing what to do if the roads are icy or knowing how to go about deer running across the road. Finally cutting out distractions while behind the wheel will help drastically. Driving with friends will be hard but if you are the one behind the wheel you take control and make the rules. If we follow these rules and continue to bring awareness to safe driving we can bring the number of deaths down and help save lives.

References

Borrelli, Lena. “2021 Drunk Driving Statistics.” Bankrate, https://www.bankrate.com

“Drunk Driving.” NHTSA, https://www.nhtsa.gov

“Policy Impact: Seat Belts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Jan. 2011, https://www.cdc.gov

University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Web Developer Network. “Study: Driver’s Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets.” Study: Driver’s Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln, https://newsroom.unl.edu/