Education vs. Ignorance

In the first half of 2021 alone, around 20,160 people died in motor vehicle crashes, which is up 18.4 % compared to 2020 statistics.

The steps it takes today to become a legal driver include the written test, the practice hours, and the final test, and all ensure that the person getting in the driver’s seat knows what they are doing and are ready and prepared to drive on the roads. Not only does the Driver Education prepare new drivers for the practical experience of driving, but it also brings awareness to the potential and unexpected hazards of being on the road. Since everyone grows up around cars and are exposed to driving on a daily basis, it often is not recognized how dangerous driving can be. When I was studying for my permit test, I remember hating how much material I had to study but it all held importance and has helped me to become a safer driver. I also took a course right after I had got my license that was about driver safety and the steps one can take to reduce the risk of a car accident. The course had to do with making sure one is checking all of the mirrors and noticing and recognizing hazards in the road. A lot of teens that get behind the wheel have no idea what they are doing since they are new to the idea and practice of driving. They also have a skewed sense of invincibility. About 3,000 teens die every year in accidents and 20% of 16 year olds will be in a car crash during their first year of driving.

There are a variety of different steps a person can take to reduce the number of deaths relating to driving. The most important would be to make sure that the person driving is responsible and understands the rules of the road. Again, this relates back to the attitude many teenagers have, and through Drivers Education the reality of the dangers of driving can be reinforced. Defensive driving is a key concept that drivers should implement on the road. This type of driving is an accident-preventing technique that requires that the driver is constantly aware of their surroundings and always prepared to have an escape route if something were to happen on the roads. Escape routes can be things like switching lanes, or pulling off to the side of the road, or even taking a side street if it is safe to do so. All of these options are to ensure that if something does happen the driver is able to maneuver the vehicle to safety easily and safely. Another important rule relating to safe driving is ensuring that there is a safe driving plan. On long road trips it is easy to space out or get drowsy while driving which could be incredibly dangerous. A way around this problem is making sure that there are enough stops along the trip for the driver to relax, eat, or even go to the bathroom. Drivers on long road trips may also experience sleep-deprivation which is a major cause of road accidents. Nearly 100,000 traffic crashes can be attributed to drowsy driving, with more than 1,500 deaths and over 70,000 injuries in reference to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In order to ensure a safer driving experience for everyone on the road, drivers need to be educated on safety precautions and understand the rules of the road. Making sure friends and family are held accountable is one way to improve driving safety. An example of this would be stopping someone who was about to drive under the influence. Another would be encouraging a quiet and steady environment from the passengers in a car. For teens especially it is important to ensure that they are able to drive a vehicle safely. Teens are more prone to accidents in that teens are almost three times as likely as drivers aged 20 or older to be in a car crash. So, crash risk is high during the first months of teens receiving their license.

Personally and thankfully, I have never had an experience of being in a car accident and I hope that I will never have to. Unfortunately, my grandmother was in a lifechanging car accident and is now permanently disabled from the experience. The other driver swerved onto her side of the road and was killed in the accident, and my grandmother had serious injuries to both of her legs, fractured her pelvis, and had pieces of glass embedded in her body. We will never know if the other driver fell asleep, sneezed, or was changing a radio station since he did not survive the crash. This accident drastically changed her life and affected the lives of her kids. She could no longer walk any distance or play any sports. I think it is important to recognize the effects dangerous driving can have not only on you but also the impact it has on family members and others driving on the road as well.