The Safer The Better

I think driver education has a huge impact on reducing the number of driving-related deaths. This is clear to see in AAA’s eight year study published in 2015 that showed drivers who had not taken driver’s ed had around a 13% chance of being in an accident, while drivers who did take driver’s ed had only an 11% chance. I would attribute this statistic to the valuable advice kids are able to receive, particularly from experienced drivers during behind-the-wheel sessions. The instructors give new drivers the inside scoop on how to avoid dangerous situations they themselves have dealt with in real life.

For example, I learned to always be able to see where the wheels of the car in front of me touch the ground so if anything goes wrong, there is enough room to maneuver around the car ahead. Just the other day, I was waiting at a traffic light and when the light turned green, the line of cars started to move forward. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the car in front of me came to an abrupt stop and put their flashers on in the middle of the road. Luckily, I had kept enough space between my car and theirs so I didn’t run into the back of their vehicle. Without my instructors spacing advice, I probably would’ve been in my first accident.

While driver’s education helps reduce car accident deaths, there is still work to be done. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, speeding is the number one factor in over 25% of fatal accidents. I think the greatest way to combat this is to increase the number of speed cameras, add more speed limit signs, and lower the speed limits themselves.

Increasing the number of speed cameras would increase the personal risk or penalty associated with speeding. I believe this would decrease the number of people who speed, or at least decrease the areas through which people speed since they would have to slow down near the cameras in order to avoid getting a ticket.

I also think that there aren’t enough speed limit signs on the roads. Increasing the presence of these signs would increase the awareness of the speed limit. I know I, for one, sometimes turn onto a road and have no idea what the speed limit is for several minutes. Before I see that first sign, I simply have to make an estimate based on the type of road and the speed which others are driving, but even then I can be off base.

Lastly, I think the most drastic measure is to lower the speed limits themselves. I’m sure you’ve heard of the rule not to go over 10 miles over the speed limit so you don’t get a ticket. Many of my friends and family drive 10 miles over the limit to ride the line between speeding and getting caught. Using this line of logic, I think the posted speed limits should be 10 miles below what is the maximum recommended speed. This way, even those who speed are going the true speed limit.

As I mentioned before, some of my friends have questionable driving practices. This includes speeding, using their phones while driving, and even racing. Last October, a large group of friends planned to go to Field of Screams and we split into two separate cars: boys versus girls. This somehow became Fast and Furious 45 and turned into a race. The driver of the car I was riding in got swept away in the competitiveness of it all, and passed the boy’s car by swerving into the lane with traffic coming the opposite direction. There’s this idea amongst teenagers that driving fast is cool, so racing and speeding are ways to prove their social status. Another big mistake I see drivers make is texting or changing their music while they’re driving. This has caused endless fender benders in my high school parking lot, with both students and parents at fault, but no one ever seems to stop.

One way I try to prevent my friends from making these unwise choices is by offering to use their phone for them — whether it’s sending a text to their mom, changing their Spotify playlist, or reading out the GPS instructions. This keeps their eyes on the road and my anxiety in check. When I am driving other passengers, I try to make a conscious effort to ask them to do the same for me so I can focus on driving. If I’m driving alone, these things become a bit tricker. I never text and drive but using my GPS is a must. I try to limit the time I’m looking at the GPS instead of the road by connecting my phone to the car. This way I can hear the GPS instructions, and I can briefly glance at the dashboard screen instead of angling my head to look at the phone in my lap.