Danger on the Daily

Danger
on the Daily

What
is the importance of drivers ed in reducing the number deaths
as a result of driving?

What
steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving?

Have
you ever had an experience of being in a car accident or have seen
your friends or family members driving irresponsibly?

What
steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help
others become safer on the road?

Car
crashes happen in a matter of seconds but their impacts can last a
lifetime. Weeks after my mother was hit by a drunk driver she still
grappled with housework that used to be simple for her. Sitting at
the kitchen table, I saw her drop a bowl of pesto, unsecure in her
shaky hands, and break down into tears. As I hugged her, I realized
how frustrating and heartbreaking it must be to have your life
altered at the hands of an irresponsible peer, to be a victim of the
effects of a crash that was completely out of your control. It was
there that I promised myself that I would never put anyone else in
the position that the perpetrator of the crash had put my mother in.

My
mom’s crash could have been so much worse. As she drove down a
local three-lane road, a car took a left turn into her path. My
mother slammed on the breaks, trying to turn right to avoid colliding
with the car in front of her, but she was unable to stop herself from
slamming into the passenger side of the turning car. She later found
out that the driver who had pulled out in front of her had been under
the influence.

Although
my mom will ultimately be alright and neither she nor the driver of
the other car was killed in the crash, my mother was a victim of the
reckless driving of someone she didn’t even know. As an informed
driver, my mother took the correct steps to prevent the crash,
however, it was out of her control and she ended up paying the price
for someone else’s rash judgement. Education is important to
protect not only oneself, but all of the other people on the road.
Driving is the most dangerous activity we partake in on the daily and
when you drive, you work to ensure the safety of not only yourself,
but also everyone around you.

Many
people make bad decisions on the road because they are ignorant to
the potential consequences, or– in the case of driving under the
influence– believe that they are beyond the limits being put on
other drivers. During Drivers ed courses, students should
be given personal anecdotes that drive home the idea that no one is
alone on the road. It’s one thing to know that alcohol is involved
in 40% of fatal crashes, but it’s different to watch a mother talk
about a child she lost too soon or listen to the perpetrator themself
speak on how their actions impacted innocent lives. Education that
makes the rules of the road personal and impactful is just as
important as learning the laws themselves. People respond to lessons
that are applicable to their lives. They are more likely to see how
their actions can be impactful after being shown the individual
stories of others reeling from the aftermath of reckless driving, as
opposed to learning about the dangers of reckless driving via
statistics that are easy to detach oneself from.

Educating
drivers is important because when you drive, you hold lives in your
hand. Some educated drivers aren’t enough. In order to truly make
our roads as safe as possible, all drivers need to be aware of the
potential consequences of their malpractices. While my mother took
the correct steps to ensure her safety on the road, she still
suffered injuries that affect her to this day at the hands of a
reckless driver. If the woman who hit my mom had been more aware of
the dangers of drunk driving, she might not have even set foot in the
car and my mom wouldn’t have had to pay the price for her bad
decision.

Informed
drivers realize that when they get on the road they are responsible
not only for their own safety, but for the safety of everyone around
them. It only takes one uneducated driver to perpetrate a crash that
could alter an innocent life forever.