A Dangerous Road

A Dangerous Road

I will never forget the day that I sat terrified in my uncle’s car as he was speeding down the road, buzzed, just after dinner. My younger cousin and I cried in fear as my aunt shouted at my uncle to slow down. Luckily, we all made it home safe, but the same cannot be said for thousands of other people in similar situations of irresponsible driving. That is why it is imperative that everyone take steps to make the roads a safer space for those on and around them.

The most obvious way to make the roads safer is for drivers to be armed with the knowledge they need. Knowledge is power. Although nobody can plan for all situations, knowing the rules of the road and how to drive defensively can help keep everyone on the road as safe as possible. With more drivers learning how to be safe, less deaths will follow. It is the same principle as academics: the more you know about a subject, the better you are likely to do in the class. But the real question is how we can educate drivers in a way that they will listen? What are the actionable steps we can take as communities and individuals to make our roads less dangerous? There is no single answer, but there are several possibilities on the community and individual level that would be a step in the right direction.

On a community level, it would be beneficial to focus on driver education initiatives. Promoting driving education to teens in schools and further education for adults in community centers could be a great place to start. Another great place would be improving driving class accessibility. Driving lessons can cost hundreds of dollars, which provides incentive (in the state of Ohio) for people to wait until they are 18 to bypass driver’s ed. Driver’s ed provides intensive education for new drivers, and without it, drivers do not have the same level of preparation. Additionally, investing in more signs for our communities would be extremely helpful. For example, every day I see people texting while driving, which was recently made illegal in my state, and I have not seen a single sign in my city promoting this new law. A reminder every now and then would help encourage drivers to keep their eyes on the road. Finally, the risks of driving need to be made known and real to anyone who is using the road or the surrounding area. Too many people know the laws and choose to ignore them. For some, the danger of driving does not seem real. This is why driving fatality statistics need to be readily available and promoted wherever driving is concerned: driver’s ed, health classes, state manuals, etc. In my driver’s ed class, we watched driving accident videos. Watching these videos made the threat real to me. Hearing the statistics and seeing real-life instances of people who were affected by irresponsible driving encouraged me to always obey the laws and be a safe driver. I think other people would feel the same way. Any of these steps would help reduce the amount of driving fatalities by making the roads a safer place. After the community plays its part in educating the public and encouraging them to drive safely, it is up to individuals to make smart driving choices.

Every individual driver should be taking the necessary steps to keep themselves and others safe. This starts with obeying the laws- it sounds simple, but so many people choose to endanger themselves and others by ignoring the rules of the road. Secondly, make sure others obey the laws. If drivers do not make smart choices on their own (or are unable to make smart choices), it is up to those around them to stop any irresponsible behavior and encourage safer behavior in the future. The final step that everyone should take is to educate themselves. If someone does not know the rules of the road, they need to learn. If someone forgets, they need to relearn. If one person knows something that another does not, the first person needs to teach. Having the knowledge is the first step, and it is up to the driver to use that knowledge.

Education is central to driving safely. If I could go back in time knowing what I know now, I would make sure that my uncle did not drive home that night. People should use their knowledge to help themselves and others by taking the necessary steps on their own and in their communities to keep the roads safe. Driving has risks, but everyone has the power to make a dangerous road a safer one.