Many of us, whether we own one or not, have driven a vehicle at one point in our lives. Many of us drive to work or school, the grocery store, or to our favorite local McDonalds- their hot fudge sundaes are exquisite on a hot summer day. Many of us, whether we are involved or not, have witnessed a car crash.
In 2022, approximately 46,000 deaths in the United States were attributed to automobile accidents. Perhaps this number is not as frightening when considering the population of the United States as a whole, but let’s put it into a different perspective for a moment: the population of my rapidly growing city Bend, Oregon is around 100,000 people. This means that nearly half of the population of Bend would have been killed in 2022 due to only automobile accidents, which does not even break the top ten for leading causes of death in the United States. Perhaps those statistics are still not frightening. There was no Thanos snap that reduced the population of Bend to half its previous population. In all reality, those deaths did not all occur in the tiny city of Bend- they were dispersed across the United States throughout the entire year of 2022. However, take a moment to consider the age range that those deaths were distributed across. A majority of those deaths occur in the 25 to 44 year age range, a range of people who did not have much life to live. These are people who died before they had the opportunity to experience a live concert, or see a national monument, to love or start a family, to check off a bucket list item or fulfill a lifelong dream.
There are many causes of automobile accidents, but driver education could reduce the occurrences significantly. I did not start learning how to drive until I was 18 years old (I know, I am a late bloomer). I received my license at 20 years old, and was astounded by how easy it is for someone to get a driver's license. I had been driving intermittently for 2 years with a permit, but felt that I had a poor idea of my car, how it handled, and how it worked. Yet, I was still able to obtain a license- I passed with flying colors! Well, I am not here to brag about how easy it is to get a license. One of the major issues with our system is that it is too easy to get a license. People who have a poor understanding of the rules of the road and only vaguely understand their own automobile are still able to receive a license.
So what went wrong? Receiving a license is akin to passing high school- the standards have been lowered to an astronomical degree that anyone, including those that do not participate in class, are able to graduate. People do not need to understand their car well or how to operate the vehicle in various conditions- they simply need to know how to start the vehicle, how to make it go and stop, and how to turn. The first step to fixing this gap in driver education is to make education more accessible. Students are required to go to school to receive an education. Vehicular education should be included in that education. Cities have student driver programs, but they are not affiliated with highschools, and are often overbooked and difficult to connect with someone who works in the programs. Rather than being separate entities, these programs should work together to help students learn a fundamental life skill.
People need access to a program that will help them better understand their car, how to operate it, and the car’s limits. Along with increasing access to student driver programs, people should be encouraged to take their car’s autocross racing. Not what you were expecting from that sentence, was it? Autocross racing is a car sport in which autosport associations set up cones on a runway or large parking lot, and racers must navigate their vehicle around (not through) the cones. The intent is to perform the course as fast as you and your car are able to go. I began racing my car last summer, and since then have gained an exceptional understanding of how my car operates, what its limitations are, and how to correct my car if it approaches the point of spinning out. I have gained confidence behind the wheel, and have had to use my increased handling abilities of my car to avoid accidents and loss of control of my car on icy roads. So, while autocross is exceptionally fun, it is also highly educational both on and off the course. If people had a better understanding of their vehicle and how to handle it, instances of automobile accidents would decrease.
Finally, roads would be safer with an increase in rule following. Drivers typically speed on highways, but some to a greater degree than others. The speed limit on the highway in Bend is 45 miles per hour, yet drivers treat the highway as a 55 mph speed zone, with the left lane typically going more like 60 to 65 mph. I have witnessed friends drive while intoxicated. I have seen cars hit head on, and others roll. There are more people on the road than ever before, leading to an increase in those who do not follow the rules of the road, and a subsequent increase in automobile accidents and deaths. The way we combat these issues leaves much to be desired. I have seen cars run a red light in front of cop cars that did not pursue, yet those same cop cars will camp by the highways at the end of each month to distribute tickets to those who are going 5 mph above the speed limit. We need to stop treating these rules as a method to bring in income, or as a way to make a quota. We need a reform to the way we combat those who do not follow road rules. One of the first steps would be to rebrand the police. In Europe, police vehicles are brighthly colored, noticeable, and obvious to the public, because they are a resource for citizens. In the United States, police vehicles are darkly colored, or can appear as civilian cars. It is a lot more challenging to ask an officer for help when you have trouble recognizing them. Rather than designing our officer vehicles for stealth, giving the impression that they are not there to assist, but to generate revenue for the police department, vehicles should be easily recognizable. And we, as a society, need to slow down. We need to treat the rules of the road as such- rules, and not guidelines. We need to work together to create safer roads for ourselves, our neighbors, and our community.