Safer Driving

I was a junior in high school and it was getting close to the beginning of volleyball season when we heard about a terrible car crash in Gretna, Nebraska, resulting in the death of four girls and only one survivor. They had been speeding while coming home from a party when they crashed, the car caught fire and the lone survivor had to claw her way out of the car. It was eye opening for me because these were the popular girls, involved in everything and were supposed to go on to achieve great things. The girl that survived was on the volleyball team. Most of the surrounding schools in Nebraska got together to support Gretna, but it was still heartbreaking to see the impact that crash had on an entire school and its families. This horrific incident could’ve been prevented with proper precaution and foresight by the girls.

Later on, the news came out that most of the girls had been drinking and had been going around 100 when they crashed. Most teenagers don’t think much about speeding when driving, it’s just something they do. Many teens think speeding isn’t a big deal because they think they’re invincible to an extent, but what they need to think about is not only hurting themselves but others around them. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) states “For more than two decades speeding has been involved in approximately one third of all motor vehicle accidents.” Teenagers aren’t the only drivers that speed. Speeding is universal; going the speed limit is one way we can make the roads a safer place. Another way to keep the roads safe is to stay off the cell phone. When I was growing up I heard a story about an 18 year old coming home and ended up getting into a car crash and dying because he was texting and driving. I remember thinking how silly it was to use a phone while driving. Now becoming 18 with the latest iphone it is all the most tempting to text and drive. The memory of the 18 year old boy stops me from doing so. According to Aceable “In Nebraska, texting while driving carries a fee up to $200 for a first-time offense. Drivers could also get up to three points added to their driving record.” Many adults use their phone while driving, and getting three points on their record could be very serious. Too many points on one’s record could end them up in jail. Adults are meant to set good examples for children growing up. By adults using their phones while driving, their kids grow up seeing this and think it is an acceptable habit. This is a negative cycle because it is only going to take the drivers focus off of the road and cause more accidents.

Drivers Education is a vital resource for beginner drivers because it exposes improper habits and creates good ones with proper instruction and guidance throughout the class. On average this course takes multiple days with around four hours each day, and it ends with an extensive driving test. Throughout the course instructors follow strict guidelines that are universal so that each class is taught with the same instructions, and precautions. This will result in keeping the roads safer, and ultimately lowering the amount of deaths caused by car accidents. The NHTSA also states “An estimated 20,160 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the first half of 2021, up 18.4% over 2020. That’s the largest number of projected fatalities in that time period since 2006.” Drivers Education informs students on their risks and consequences of speeding and driving while under the influence. These consequences don’t only apply to law, but also moral guilt. Along with stating the consequences, Drivers Education also uses a scare tactic to persuade young drivers not to participate in illegal driving activities. Some examples of this include images of victims after the accident, first hand accounts of people involved in serious accidents, and stories of families that were affected by these horrible accidents.These scare tactics have been shown to work. A study done by UNL shows that 75% of young drivers who have not completed driver’s education are more likely to get a traffic ticket. 24% more likely to be involved in a fatal injury or accident of themselves or others and 16% more likely to have an accident. Most drivers education classes are offered through schools in the summer or there are courses everyone can take online to make sure people know all the rules and safety measures to take.

Sharing one’s stories and telling about personal driving experiences can help prevent tragic accidents. Most people are scared of flying because of the risk of death but NOVA states that the chances of dying in a plane crash are 1 in 11 million, while ER injury attorneys state that the chances of dying in a car crash is 1 in 107. Most cars have bluetooth to listen to music and take calls, which eliminates the use of a cell phone. At the end of the day, drivers need to focus on the huge responsibility that driving is. Many people take it for granted and don’t realise the risk of speeding, or driving under the influence. A drunk person might say to themselves, “Oh, it’s not that far to my house,” to justify driving, but in reality it isn’t the distance they are driving that matters, it’s that they can still crash and cause harm to themselves and others. Drivers Education is an introduction to safe driving and forming safe habits with young drivers. These positive habits will eliminate unnecessary accidents and lessen the amount of deaths due to car accidents.

Sources

ER Injury Attorneys. (2021, July 15). What are the odds of dying in a car crash in Las Vegas?

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https://erinjuryattorneys.com/odds-of-dying-in-a-car-crash/.

Office, P. (2021, October 28). USDOT releases new data showing that road fatalities spiked in

first half of 2021. NHTSA. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from

https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/usdot-releases-new-data-showing-road-fatalities-spiked-first-half-2021.

Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). Nova | the deadliest plane crash | how risky is flying? PBS.

Retrieved November 30, 2021, from

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/planecrash/risky.html.

Texting while driving penalties by State. Aceable. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2021, from

https://www.aceable.com/blog/texting-and-driving-fines-by-state/.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Web Developer Network. (n.d.). Study: Driver’s ed significantly

reduces teen crashes, tickets. Study: Driver’s ed significantly reduces teen crashes,

tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from

http://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver%27s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets.

Speeding. NHTSA. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2021, from

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding#:~:text=For%20more%20than%20two%20

decades,26%25%20of%20all%20traffic%20fatalities.