Name: Bridget Marie Nolan
From: Johnston, Iowa
Votes: 0
In
2017 the total fatalities due to car accidents was 40,327 people. In
order to lower that number, people need to know the necessity of
being a safe driver. After reading the statistics about car accidents
and deaths due to them, I learned there has been more deaths from car
accidents than in some of the major wars that the United States has
been involved in. Safe driving needs to be talked about, especially
among younger people. No issue is ever solved if it is not talked
about.
Simple
driving education can shape the minds of people to be more proactive
and alert drivers. There is not a single person that doesn’t know
of a friend, family member, or even an acquaintance that has not been
in a car accident. Drivers ed talks about issues that could
occur and other advice to make sure a person is driving safe. After a
while of driving though, kids especially, don’t take the laws and
advice too seriously. One piece of advice I didn’t listen to that
caused me to undergo something traumatic is about hydroplaning. Just
three weeks ago I was taking an exit switching interstates and my car
hydroplaned. My car spun in a circle and slid into a ditch. I had
never been more scared of being in a car because I had no control
over what was happening. I was in the driver’s seat, the position
that controls the entire car, and yet I had zero control of where my
car was going or how fast. Another incident, a few months ago, one of
my friends was partaking in drinking at a party. She wanted to drive
home in time for curfew, but she didn’t seem to understand there
are other people on the road and driving impaired puts herself and
others at risk of injury or even death. It is hard for me to believe
that an 18 year old girl doesn’t understand that driving while
under the influence won’t just put her in danger, but also the
other innocent people on the road. Education on the topic will clear
up misconceptions and will prepare a person for future incidences,
with that being said, safety precautions should continue to be
expressed even after initial drivers ed. Education shouldn’t
stop the older you get, it should continue for a lifetime.
Personally,
when I see a sign above the innerstate showing the statistics of car
accidents, it causes me to think and focus on my driving. Even just
getting reminded of how dangerous driving can be will help people be
more cautious while driving. One step that schools can take to reduce
the number of teen deaths due to car accidents is hire a speaker to
talk about it more in depth. One other precaution they could take is
requiring a section of driving safety in health classes. We can
reduce the number of deaths due to driving if we talk and educate
people about the problem.
