Driving for Life

Ongoing studies performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and other agencies, have proven beyond speculation, that educating oneself through state mandated classroom, written studies and hands-on training will develop a better cognitive understanding of, along with the daily practice of such safety awareness when operating a motor vehicle, can and will dramatically lower the rate of statistical deaths, personal injury and property damage. Driver education is a necessary educational obligation that is needed to educate the naïve student through the experienced, bonded, and licensed professional. Driver education offered through a professional, non-biased, or prejudice state approved instructor is undeniably more effective, than a parent or friend of the student. An unwanted and pressured expectation of performance, a good or bad personal history of the individual to include impractical driving practices, and just the mere nervousness of the student driver will cloud their concentration and retention of important rules and techniques. The student driver will be nervous enough when trying to learn and retain all that is being taught and presented to them, than to create any further distraction.

The steps that can be taken to reduce the number of driving deaths correlate with all previous recommendations of education, training, and enforcement of such laws, and ordnances of each respective state and county. I believe that a standardization, from state to state, of rules, laws and practices of enforcement would greatly present a better understanding to motor vehicle operators regardless of what state they may be traveling from, to the state(s) in which they will be traveling…expectations and conformity would be the same. Additionally, I gave it some thought as to Distracted Driving, and how prevalent it has become, and the deaths that have been lost by it. After reviewing a lot of research, I feel strongly about, and will present to my representatives and senators an idea, one that I know will make a difference, which I’ll share a bit later.

In 2019 I was involved in a horrible accident, as I was the innocent 12 year old passenger, in a large SUV; we were hit on the side of our vehicle by a woman distracted by texting and not paying attention to her red traffic light. We landed upside down with the wheels in the air, and suspended by our seatbelts. It was the most traumatic life changing experience, which left me in rehab, and slight damage to my spine, which just this year I had surgery to repair a promoted growth. There is no cure, and there will never be change to the very fact that for as long as we have free will, and human nature, humans will always be complacent to what is right and wrong, which rules apply to them, and their internal value of others around them. What to do?

It all starts with ourselves individually when it comes to driving safety. As my father taught me how to drive, a former police officer, he has impressed upon me to have everyone buckle-up in my car, for me to place my phone in my backpack, or car console, and to always look out for the unexpected, and to expect it. “Be aware of your surroundings” he stresses upon me. As of recent, my father was educated through a special course with the South Carolina Registry of Motor Vehicles, has become bonded, and is now a Driving Instructor, and a South Carolina Registry of Motor Vehicles Examiner, so he most certainly continues to critique me and my friends driving, along with sharing some horrific stories of failing to follow simple driving rules. Through my father, and my experience first-hand, reading such articles, and reviewing studies of distracted driving, it is in my educated, and logical take away of all combined, that a cold, hard, real-life, actual photo and video, publically advertised display of accident scenes, will be most impactful. Ironically I’ve had this very discussion with my classmates, and teachers, because of the loss of two of my classmates, Grant and Emma, caused by distracted driving. Although some argue that the idea is too graphic, and disgusting, I feel that it would be appropriate to those of driving age, and there’s nothing more impactful than the reality of life; death and catastrophic injury. The Registry of Motor Vehicles in all states could make it a requirement, at the time of license renewal, that an approved compilation of explanation, definitions, and accident scenes be mandated, along with an additional exam be passed. We must become more impactful, and quickly.