Deaths in the Driver’s Seat

Aaron
Mata

Deaths
in the Driver’s Seat

It
is no surprise that deaths coming from road accidents outweigh the
number of deaths in the Vietnam War. When thinking about how this
could happen, remember that road deaths are usually caused by one
root reason: distraction; and with distraction usually coming from a
cellular device or something that can grab a reckless driver’s
attention comes the loss of control. However, things do not have to
be this way, as drivers ed can be a way to reduce deaths on the
road; as well as implementing a couple of tips from my experience to
help combat the growing issue of road deaths.

Driver’s
Education has been around for the longest time, so with something
that important why are there still so many driving-related deaths?
The world will never know, but fully utilizing it would definitely
reduce the number of deaths on the road. Some steps we can start to
take to reduce the number of deaths include implementing a mandatory
drivers ed class for student drivers at their designated high
schools. Another step that the United States can use to ensure
enhanced road safety is a small 20 question quiz that must be taken
before people can renew their licenses. The minimum amount of
questions that can be right is 16 and every time they get it wrong,
they get another quiz with different questions and can not get their
renewed license until they pass that test.

Personally,
I have not received a ticket for driving due to the kinds of
financial consequences my family and I will have to face. Thankfully,
my family and I have not had any deaths on the road, but some have
gotten a ticket for speeding. Even though speeding may sound like a
minor issue, it is still illegal and can cause one to unnecessarily
pay money out of their pocket. Whether it involves money or not, it
is still important to keep others safe while out on the road. Some
steps to be a better driver include installing this app called
LifeSaver, which makes it harder to access your phone while the
vehicle is moving. Another thing people can do to start driving
safely is to make sure they are always driving with a designated
accountability partner, who will be responsible for taking care of
the driver’s phone and ensuring they do not become intoxicated.

Driver’s
education can be expanded across the country to keep people safe on
the roads, as well as using other methods like apps and others can be
used to lower the number of road deaths. The thing about roadside
accidents is that they always involve others in an extremely negative
way. With this in mind, practicing safe driving practices can keep
many people safe with only a few simple solutions.