Improving Road Safety

Indira Placide

Improving
Road Safety

Last year I lost three family members due unsafe and drunk driving.
Immediately, the sad news evoked fear and distress in our household.
The emotional strain and financial burden overwhelmed our family.
Although some people believe that alcohol provides a way to relieve
stress, when it is combined with driving it becomes lethal to those
who consume and others around. I believe that only sober people
should be permitted to drive because this problem often leads to
negative implication such as accidents, conflicts, and death.

Driver inattention and inexperience are the
most significant problems when driving. Insurance companies have
acknowledged that drivers under 25 years are more likely to be
involved in accidents and have subjected higher premium rates.
Experienced drivers have shown more confidence and are less likely to
engage in driving problems such as speeding, loss of vehicle control,
and tailgating.

We should be aware of the importance of driver
education and road safety. Some ways that can be used to improve road
safety include:

• Provide
  mandatory programs in school and at driving institutions to increase
  awareness

• of
  the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

• Increase
  stiffer penalties for driving under the influence

• Assign
  a designated driver who remains sober throughout the duration of the
  entire

• outing 

• Utilize
  Uber, Lyft and a Taxi to ensure a safe return home

• Increase
  the driving age to the legal drinking age

• Incorporating
  perfectly calibrated breathalyzers into cars that control ignition

• Law
  enforcement also needs to be strict and define specific rules when
  enforcing these

• laws
  to ensure that citizens abide.

In most countries it is illegal to drive without a permit or a
driver’s license. In addition, any unlicensed individual driving
under the influence should be put to jail and should be convicted
with a stiff penalty, because this problem is dangerous for others on
and around the road. Law enforcement also needs to be strict and
define specific rules when enforcing these laws to ensure that
citizens abide. By increasing the penalties for driving under the
influence more people will refrain from doing such an act.

Finally, increasing the legal of driving can reduce the number of
people allowed to drive and will allow individuals to obtain their
license at the same age of being able to drink. Alongside government
laws, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must
also work with car manufacturers and dealers to approve purchasing
safe vehicles at the driving age. Manufactures include safety
features such as anti-lock ignition but drivers must also be aware of
the features. Maintaining safety standards must be a requirement for
manufactures and drivers should ensure that their safety is important
to themselves and those around

We need to take road safety more seriously as
the demand for vehicular transportation increases. It must be a
priority that the government, manufacturers, and citizens need to
address. I believe preventing accidents should be a priority
for both government and citizens. Drunk driving should not be
different and must be a priority that everyone prevents.