
Name: Anna
Votes: 0
Potential Ways to Circumvent Meaningless Deaths
Over the course of the past several centuries, the world has experienced many changes; from societally to agriculturally to academically, things in the modern world are constantly in motion, moving from the previous status quo to the next advancement. A particular advancement that has been extremely beneficial for fast, convenient transport has been the motor vehicle, or car. With such a machine, long distances are speedily traversed with ease and luxury, relationships are less constricted by geographic location, and lives are saved thanks to first responders’ ability to drive to the location of the emergency. However, as with most advancements in technology, there is risk involved. When two machines weighing between one and three tons collide at speeds exceeding fifty miles per hour, the chances of injury or even death are very high. Even with traffic laws, accidents still happen, which begs the question: what can be done to minimize the danger presented by vehicles on the road?
It is no secret that many driving accidents are caused by speeding. According to iihs.org, approximately 9,478 fatalities were caused by speeding in 2019. An additional 3,000+ were due to distracted driving. That means that 12,000+ lives could have been easily preserved if every driver had done their part to be responsible behind the wheel. While everyone hears about the dangers of speeding and distracted driving when learning to drive, eventually driving becomes rote and the potency of the warnings fade with time. For this reason, both improved initial education and ongoing, updated education may be able to reduce the number of fatal accidents per year by breaking up the monotony of routine driving with compelling reminders of what is at risk every time a driver puts the keys in the ignition and better preparing drivers for potential hazards.
One method of education for both initial and ongoing purposes would be the usage of visual imagery. For example, before you have your wisdom teeth removed, the oral surgeon is legally required to have you watch a video describing and visualizing all of the potential risks associated with the procedure. While I doubt that many people are turned away from having the procedure done altogether, I imagine that many are much more apprehensive about it. Such apprehension would come from the use of visual aids at the BMV before taking the driving test and would lead to cautious behavior, which for those on the roads leads to a reduction in danger. However, if all the realistically gruesome visuals are shown initially and then repeatedly at every license renewal, this will likely only have an effect on beginning drivers; those who have continually seen the same thing will become desensitized to it. Instead, the bare minimum should be shown initially, and at each license renewal the information should be updated and increased in severity.
With the recent improvements in technology, another method of education could be reflex training through the use of virtual reality. As virtual reality becomes more fine-tuned and accessible, driver’s ed programs can begin implementing it by simulating various scenarios in which the “driver” has a chance to practice how to effectively and safely handle potential hazards without the stress of truly being in one of those scenarios. Reflex training could work to reduce the roughly 23,000 yearly casualties that are not due to speeding or distracted driving.
While I have never been in an accident, there have been a few close calls. Each one increases my focus on the road and my surroundings as I drive, especially regarding other drivers and deer. To better prepare myself, I can mentally run through different scenarios and practice reacting to each situation so that if the time comes, I will have a reflexive response and will not have to try to think through panic. When riding as a passenger, I can be considerate by contributing to the limitation of distractions through keeping a cap on the noise produced within the car or by handling directions, and can act as a second pair of eyes watching for hazards.
Although factoring in these different educational methods and individual awareness should work to reduce the number of yearly casualties due to car accidents, they certainly will not eradicate the number completely. Us drivers will always be only human, none of us are perfect 100% of the time, and accidents will happen. Even if all cars eventually become self-driving, as stated earlier, technological advancement is always accompanied by risk. One of the main reasons for this ever-present risk in technological advancements is the human factor. Unlike mathematical equations which always produce the correct answer with precision and accuracy, humans are very fallible. Self-driving vehicles will still only operate within the parameters designed by the engineers who created them and will therefore still be open to potential errors. Regardless of whatever potential dangers we face, both now and in the future, it is our responsibility, our duty, to take what measures we can to better educate ourselves and other drivers on how to be safer on the road.