Beyond the Numbers: The Role of Accountability and Health Knowledge in Road Safety

With every turn of a car's ignition key, one assumes the enormous burden of ensuring that not only oneself but also all other road users reach their destinations safely. Every year, 34,000 American citizens die from accidents involving automobiles. What is even more frightening is that the number of Americans dying from motor vehicle accidents every year exceeds the total number of American military casualties in combat actions in Iraq and Afghanistan put together. Over a period of two years, automobile fatalities exceed total casualties of the Vietnam War. However, most drivers, especially the young ones, do not seem to take operating a vehicle seriously enough as something that can cost someone their life. Changing this public health epidemic is possible only if we change our attitudes towards driving cars based on thorough healthcare education and personal responsibility.

Driver education forms the first line of defense against deaths on the road. Unfortunately, it becomes merely a recitation of basic information necessary for passing a standard test. Driver education is far from being a mere recitation, but a formation of a base of knowledge about the principles of defensive driving, spatial orientation, and the physics of movement. After being educated, a person will be able to foresee dangers ahead and will not just react to a crisis after it happens. Driver education removes the illusion of invincibility that most of the drivers have. Through practical examples, accident statistics, and the physics behind stopping distances, driver education teaches the meaning of human life in a way that statistics never could.

My outlook on road safety issues was greatly influenced by my educational experience. Being a sophomore nursing student at Northern Illinois University, I study the human body, patient advocacy, and clinical practice daily. In medicine, we know that one mistake can lead to irreparable damage to a patient. Our procedures are always tight; we verify variables and stay hyper-vigilant because there is a life involved. When I reflect upon the role of a driver, I can draw a direct comparison to vigilance in a clinical context. A car is a multi-ton vehicle; driving it without one-hundred percent of attention is negligence. A healthcare professional must consider the risks involved before starting any interventions. Likewise, a driver must remove all possible distractions and prepare for the road before he or she puts a vehicle in drive.

Personal responsibility while driving also involves the review of how our internal tendencies come out while we are driving. Distracted driving is one of the primary factors in fatal crashes that are easily avoidable. As a responsible driver, I do not allow any technological distractions, and that includes smartphones, alerts, and social media. Before driving, I put my cell phone in Do Not Disturb mode and place it out of reach to give myself no chance of being distracted by technology.

Also, responsible driving entails understanding how fatigue and emotional distress affect cognitive ability. When I have had a tiring day at work as a campus Desk Assistant or as a result of many classes, I know that my reaction time is slowed. True accountability includes making the choice to either wait, take some time to rest, or find some other way of getting home because it is better not to risk putting anyone else’s safety at risk than to think you are still capable when you are not.

Moreover, promoting a culture of responsible driving requires positive influence. As a peer, as a friend, and also as someone who will soon be a medical practitioner, I feel the need to encourage friends who drive irresponsibly to change their ways. It can involve telling your friend to drive slowly, helping him/her with navigation so that his/her hands can remain on the steering wheel, or ensuring that all passengers are wearing seat belts.

In essence, the effort to curtail the number of fatalities caused by driving entails thinking of us all as a part of a bigger, interconnected ecosystem. Everyone who drives on the roads is related to one another by blood, friendship, or simply by being neighbors. Driver education, which should not be viewed only as a formality or a legal requirement, becomes a critical tool needed to preserve life. The scholarship will enable me to get the needed financial assistance to concentrate more on studying my medical innovations program and nursing studies. It will allow me to continue my education and devote myself to medicine and health from the very beginning, every time I get behind the wheel.