Let Me KNow

Driver education provides an opportunity for all drivers to truly understand how to safely drive on roads.  The United States Highway safety board estimates that at least 94% of all accidents on the road could have been prevented.  Classes that explain the reasons behind the rules and the impacts of not following the rule give consumers the opportunity to have a broader understanding of why these rules exist.  Driver Education can also assist in training young operators about safe driving.  I went through Driver Education, but I also know that many of my friends did and will not, because of the cost associated with it.  If Drivers Education was offered as part of our academic curriculum and we had to pass the safety portions as grades, I believe more teenagers would have the opportunity to research and understand the true cost of dangerous driving habits.  It’s not just the cost of your car.  It’s the cost of the funeral for families, the income earner for families, the long-term physical injuries and rehab associated with the events.  The list is extensive and short PSA’s and brief training courses do not truly encompass the overall cost of the behavior.  Reading about the deaths and their impacts, seeing the long-term consequences and effects on finances and families, and teaching accountability all aid in reducing these deaths.  Car manufacturers are trying to aid in decreasing the number of deaths related to driving.  Manufacturers have continued to increase safety features in vehicles.  They have improved airbags, added belts, automated braking, integrated phones and handsfree technology and even made some cars self-driving.  There also needs to be a culture of non-acceptance associated with social media and driving.  We, as a society, have become accustomed to looking for these dangerous videos.  I see teens in school enjoying them and wanting to try the same things.  Censorship isn’t the true answer, but there must be some form of control over what is being posted.  Insurance rate increases are already attached to moving violations, but perhaps Insurance Companies could scan the internet (much like employers do) and attach fines to drivers who post videos of themselves with dangerous habits.  There are numerous videos of drivers cutting people off, shooting at others, and making social media Videos while their cars are moving.  If there was a rate increase or a ticket in the mail for every taped incident perhaps drivers would decrease their dangerous habits.  There is no one solution, and the end decision will lie with the driver.  It is up to each one of us as drivers to take responsibility for not just ourselves but for paying attention to others when we are on the roads.  I have seen family members drive irresponsibly and they weren’t even speeding.  One of my family members is very anxious.  They have a difficult time focusing and are often drifting over the line when they are driving.  We have told them repeatedly about the behavior, but they see us as ganging up on them.  They drive slower than we do, so they believe they are a better at driving.  Slow driving poorly is no better than fast driving poorly.  Poor driving is poor driving.  I have seen them slowly cut someone off and snatch the wheel back.  We do not allow them to drive us as a family.  My mother said it is just too risky.  While I have never been in a car accident myself, I have seen horrific accidents with ejections and continue to this day to question why anyone would choose a behavior that would even remotely cause such an accident. There just isn’t a text, call, item on the floor, or any other distraction that is important enough for that level of trauma. I am a young driver and my parents made it clear that one accident and I was done using their cars.  While they know I cannot control everyone else on the road, they do expect me to pay attention to my surroundings and anticipate what other drivers are going to do based on their behavioral pattern on the road. Most of my friends are driving as Seniors but some of them do not have a car. I will not give rides to any of my friends who tend to fool around in the car.   They sometimes get angry, but I continue to tell them to let me know when they are ready to change their behaviors.  Until then I will ride solo and stay on the road.