Battling the Statistic

Screeching tires burn against pavement, piercing eardrums of passengers and bystanders. Spinning in circles like a tsunami immediately halts by drifting into a ditch. Thick, grey smoke clouds arise, surrounding the site like a flare signal beckoning for help. Fearful screams engulf the night, falling silent as glass shards frantically scatter around. Taking shape of a crescent moon, the suburban unwillingly wraps around the telephone pole in a matter of seconds.

The night before Christmas eve, my family ventured out to observe all the resplendent lights that lined each house for the holidays. As we pulled up to an intersection, my dad halted at the stop sign and turned on his blinker. As our suburban peeled away from the stop sign, a red object traveling at least 100 miles per hour flew through the stop sign at the cross street. The red Ford truck violently t-boned our suburban, sending us into a ditch, crushed against a telephone pole. As my family scrambled around trying to process what happened, the driver of the truck stumbled out of his vehicle. Me, along with my three family members, climbed out of the shattered back window of our suburban. The truck driver approached us, frantically asking if anyone was hurt and the pungent aroma of alcohol filled the air. My family and I immediately realized that, unfortunately, we were victims of a drunk driving incident. The night of December 23, 2018 consisted of many traumatic elements, permanently altering my perception of driver education and safety.

Driving-related deaths continue to be a pressing issue across the United States. Millions of lives are lost each year at the hands of negligent drivers. Our current society is dependent on the use of automobiles; society essentially relies on mobility to function. Without automobiles, people would not be able to go to work, go grocery shopping, travel, or get to school. Immense responsibility comes with getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, highlighting the importance of driver education. Receiving proper education about driving regulations and rules is crucial to both the safety of the driver as well as others on the road. Driving education drastically reduces the number of fatalities resulting from reckless driving. Proper education provides drivers with vital information about road safety, ensuring those operating a vehicle are sufficiently prepared for every situation on the road. Adequately informing individuals about automobile safety certifies that people acknowledge their responsibility for not only his or her own life, but also passengers and other civilians operating automobiles. Supplying citizens with information regarding driver safety reduces deaths by outlining responsibilities of getting behind the wheel.

There are a variety of steps and actions society can take to reduce the number of fatalities related to driving. First, ensuring that each driver has equal and proper driver education plays a crucial role in reducing the number of driving-related deaths. Some individuals are granted the opportunity to take a parent-taught course where the student completes tests online and logs driving hours under adult supervision. However, the parent-taught system possesses many flaws; as opposed to attending driving school, parent-taught students can easily forge hours and skip through vital material due to lack of supervision. By abandoning the parent-taught system and requiring students to attend driving school at the Department of Motor Vehicles, students would receive equal and proper education. Students would also be under supervision of a DMV employee while logging driving hours, so proper instruction for roadway regulations would be delivered to every citizen. Another way to reduce the number of motor vehicle related deaths is requiring individuals to take a refresher course every couple years to remind drivers of crucial safety regulations. Although older drivers may be experienced, laws can be easily forgotten, and a refresher course would remind drivers of their duty on the road.

As a driver, I can take various actions to ensure the safety of myself as well as others around me. The term ‘don’t text and drive’ is constantly promoted on billboards and advertisements; however, technological distractions go far beyond texting while operating a vehicle. Although I am not proud, I sometimes catch myself glancing at my apple car play to skip a song. Even glimpsing at my screen for a split second takes my eyes off the road and distracts me from my duties as a driver. To improve safety, I can make a playlist of my favorite songs to listen to, so when I get behind the wheel, I am not distracted by fumbling around with the buttons on my screen. Additionally, I can sufficiently prepare myself for driving in all types of weather conditions. Living in west Texas, citizens experience all types of weather including rain showers, blizzards, and severe dust storms. During a dust storm, road visibility is miniscule which proposes numerous hazards. Properly educating myself on how to respond and react to hazardous conditions will make the road a safer place for both me and other drivers.

Adequately preparing and informing citizens about duties as a driver drastically decreases the number of automobile fatalities. By making a conscious effort to improve driver education and road safety, society as a whole can battle the statistic of driving-related deaths across the United States.