Drivers ed Versus Death

Alexandra Dyanne
Schoeller

Driver
Education Versus Death

Drivers ed is
important in the fight against deaths caused by driving because the
more knowledge a driver has the better prepared and cautious, they
may be every time they take to the road. Since most drivers get their
licenses while in high school through a drivers ed course, it
would be beneficial to expose the young and new drivers to statistics
such as those shown on the website and to stigmatize unsafe driving
habits such as using a cell phone while driving. But, merely being
exposed to figures does not always reinforce the facts; so, maybe if
videos were provided with testimonies of families of whom have
suffered loss(es) due to driving accidents, and also those of drivers
who have caused accidents and live to regret the consequences of
their reckless driving choices, new drivers would be forced to
confront the realities of what unsafe driving habits might cost them.
But steps must also be taken with families and among friends. I,
myself have witnessed friends use a phone while driving, and even my
sisters while I, and sometimes others, have been in the car with
them. I have also been in a vehicle when someone has been speeding
excessively or ignored other laws of the road like stop signs. I have
also been in a car accident where a young lady was inattentive to the
road and the other vehicles on it, which resulted in the total loss
of my vehicle, but fortunately no injuries or deaths. In cases such
as these the passengers have every bit of the responsibility to
ensuring the vehicle in its entirety is practicing safe driving
habits. This meaning that, the passengers should make sure the driver
has no distractions such as a phone or even someone who might be
disrupting the driver’s ability to concentrate on the road. And,
all passengers should object to the driver practicing any bad habits
like phone use while driving or blatant recklessness. And, if the
said driver brushes off the concerns of his or her passenger the
passenger should refuse to ride with that person again and be sure
they understand why they will not ride with them again. Reversely,
drivers need to be aware of the responsibility they carry each time
they get behind a wheel. They should enter a vehicle each time
understanding that every person in the vehicle, along with every
other vehicle on the road, is counting on them to drive safely and
with adherence to the law, because failure to do so can cause a
deadly accident.

Vehicular safety is
the job of all individuals in a vehicle, not just the driver.
Everyone has the capability to stop bad habits like phone use and
other reckless behaviors in a car. It’s just a matter of empowering
all people, especially passengers to take their own safety into their
own hands, and not simply deferring or handing it over to the driver
that they are with.