Taking Initiative

Jailah
Topp

25.3.2020

Drivers
Education Initiative Award

Transportation
is an essential part of society, whether it is by means of a bus,
car, Uber, or even a bicycle. All vehicles share the same roadways
that pedestrians choose to navigate daily. The neglect for driver’s
safety has personally impacted my life on more than one occasion, the
first being when I was eight years old. My mother and I were waiting
at a stop light when a drunken driver rear ended our car, pushing us
about a quarter of a mile forward. This heavily impacted me because,
as a child sitting in the backseat, I felt the majority of the impact
from the accident. Driving safely is a choice everyone should make
when sitting in the driver seat, this could be as simple as choosing
not to drink and drive or following the speed limit. Wearing a
seatbelt should be the first precaution taken by anyone entering a
vehicle because, in many situations, a seatbelt could have saved a
life. As a new driver, I make sure to leave my phone alone until I
have reached my destination. I have been taught that driving requires
concentration, with no room for distractions or multitasking.
According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel,
approximately 1.25 million deaths take place yearly which translates
to 3,287 deaths daily due to vehicle related incidents. This is an
alarming statistic, to reduce this number, I believe that roundabouts
should replace busy intersections to reduce speed in heavily
populated areas. In addition, insurance companies should reward safe
drivers to create an incentive for the average driver on a daily
basis. Both city and school buses should be equipped with seatbelts
due the amount of lives put at risk in case of an accident. Finally,
updates to driver’s training course material should be implicated
every five years to maintain the best education for new drivers. An
improvement to drivers ed will hopefully increase driver
awareness in relation to everyone on the road. Driver safety does not
only impact those in vehicles, it also protects pedestrians that are
at risk of being hurt. Practicing driver safety is a choice we all
should make on a daily basis, that is how everyone can be protected.

Works
Cited

“Road
Safety Facts.” Association
for Safe International Road Travel,
www.asirt.org/safe-travel/road-safety-facts/.