Name: Hannah Eriksen
From: Crestwood , Kentucky
Votes: 0
The
Importance of Continuous Drivers ed
I
was in the car with my Aunt. We were leaving Target, and believing
she was clear to cross the intersection, my Aunt sped to the other
side of the street unaware of another car that was racing down the
intersection directly in our path. Had I not screamed, we would have
been killed. This terrifying experience opened my eyes to how your
life can change in an instant. Thankfully, my Aunt stopped the car in
time. We were lucky. Every year, approximately 1.24 million people
die from an automobile accident world wide. The most common method of
transportation in America is taking away 3,397 lives every day,
indicating that something is with the way people drive. Change is a
necessity. We need to revolutionize the way that automobile safety is
communicated. Begining with people, like myself, advocating the
importance of safe driving, this communication should grow into
programs that allow people to take driving courses on a regular
basis.
The
unfortunate aspect about how people learn to drive in Kentucky, my
home, is that they are legally required to take one drivers ed
course to obtain their unrestricted license. This system is faulty.
People won’t remember what they learned, especially if they only
receive the information once. How to be a safe driver is a message
that people need to receive at least once every five years. Don’t
get me wrong, adults are busy. They won’t be thrilled at the
prospect of additional drivers ed courses. This concern is
completely valid. However, when I found out the amount of people who
die in car crashes each year, I was appalled. If the reinforced
drivers courses were to tell people these terrifying numbers and
model how they can make a difference, people will listen. We can’t
be content with giving people a drivers course once in their lives.
They are going to forget.
State
governments could issue required drivers ed courses, which over time
would be effective, but what’s really going to spark change in
society is the people themselves. In a society that has become
surrounded by technology, it has become increasingly difficult to put
down mobile devices while driving. Currently, over a fourth of all
car crashes in the US were the result of people using their phones.
This motivates me to encourage other drivers who I have seen on their
phones while driving to stop. When I’m in the car with my friends,
I can offer to text for them. These seemingly minuscule changes have
the potential to save lives. We need to rethink the way certain
practices, such as texting and driving, are viewed in our society. If
only a few people began to make these changes, the ripple effect that
it could create across the US would help ensure that in 2020 far
fewer people will die in automobile accidents.
Works
Cited
“Infographics
on Global Road Safety 2013.” World
Health Organization,
World Health Organization, 15 Oct. 2018,
www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2013/facts/en/.
“Texting
and Driving Accident Statistics – Distracted Driving.”
Edgarsnyder.com,
www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html.
