Name: Margaret McKinnon
From: Hampstead, Maryland
Votes: 0
Driver
education helps reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving
due to the thorough coverage of every aspect of driving. As a
resident of Maryland, I was required to take drivers ed before
getting my license and I learned so much from the course. I learned
how to deal with different types of inclement weather, vehicle
malfunctions, and even how to be more aware of blind curves, turns,
and hills. This has helped me personally to be a better driver.
I
have been in a car accident. In the eighth grade while making a turn
our car was hit by someone who was speeding. There were no critical
injuries, but it has made me much more wary of other cars and
driving. For a couple years after the accident, I wouldn’t trust
cars coming to a stop to actually stop and I was constantly anxious
on the road. Getting my permit was one of the most terrifying things
in my life. I have recovered from the constant anxiety of driving,
but my experience in a car accident has definitely contributed to me
being a safe driver.
I do my best to be the safest driver I can
be. I help my friends become safer drivers by calling them out when
they do something unsafe.
I
believe that some of the first steps that need to be taken to reduce
the number of deaths related to driving are as follows. First, there
needs to be a general awareness of facts and statistics. I personally
wasn’t aware of the horrifying statistic of 34,000 people dying per
year as a result of driving. Another statistic that should be common
knowledge is survivability of being hit by a car at different speeds.
At twenty miles per hour, one out of ten people die; at thirty miles
per hour, five out of ten people die; at forty miles per hour, nine
out of ten people die. I believe an awareness of these statistics in
addition to required drivers ed everywhere are the first steps
to reducing the number of deaths related to driving.
