In today's society, the main mode of transportation is through cars. Driving is a vital part of life today; it is how people get to their jobs, school, and important events; however, it is also the cause of an average of 46,000 Americans dying each year. This is an alarming amount of deaths, either caused by reckless drivers on the road or just inevitable accidents. Nonetheless, I believe that teaching people the importance of driver education is an essential step in lowering these numbers. There are many young drivers or even adults out there who never enrolled themselves in driving school, so as a result, they never learned the skills and knowledge they needed to be safe on the road. These are skills like learning to be aware of potential hazards, and knowledge about road signs, traffic rules, etc. In addition, I believe that the most important skill is being a defensive driver because, while we can control what's happening in our vehicle, we can't control factors going on around us like other dangerous drivers, the weather, and other hazards, so knowing what to do in certain situations can make a life-changing difference. Without learning these skills, people would just be learning as they go along, leaving more room for accidents. Being aware of how to be a responsible and alert driver before getting behind the wheel is pivotal being able to reduce the number of deaths.
The number of deaths caused by driving accidents is unfortunately caused by a handful of factors, but there are steps we can take to help lower these numbers. The first way is to reduce the number of distractions in your car. I remember when my mom first started teaching me how to drive, before anything, she told me to have 360-degree vision around the car, and you can’t do this if you're distracted by your phone, food, or even doing your makeup. She emphasized this every time I stepped in the car: be alert. Being on my phone, especially, is something that I always feel tempted to do, whether it is to send a text or change the song, even though I know it is a risk. Using your phone, even if it's just to make a call, still takes your attention away from driving, increasing your risk of crashing and, in the process, injuring other innocent people. Another step people can take is to emphasize the risk of driving under the influence. Everyone is warned against drinking and driving since it is so dangerous, but many people ignore it because they are overconfident in their driving skills or are just reckless. It is always a better idea to just call an Uber or have a sober friend drive you than to take that risk. Lastly, overall, just following the rules is a crucial factor in lowering death rates. It can be as simple as going at the speed limit, not running red lights, wearing a seatbelt, and respecting traffic signs. The more time someone spends driving the more careless they get. This often leads to unsafe driving practices, but we need to realize that there is always danger and not following these rules put in place to ensure our safety will only lead to additional tradegies.
I only recently started driving and I just got my license as well, bu thankfully I haven’t gotten into an accident. There were a couple of times, however, that I almost crashed, and one of those times was a result of being distracted by my phone. I was looking down at it to change the next song playing, and when I looked up, I was inches away from hitting the car in front of me. I felt my heart sink seeing how close I came to being in my first car crash, but fortunately, I was able to slam the brakes on time. I know that it was something that I could have easily avoided by just focusing on the road, but it's easy to get distracted and make mistakes. This incident, while frightening, came as an eye-opener for me, and it made me realize the danger I put not only myself in but the person in front of me as well. Since that experience, I have tried to take steps to be a safer driver and set an example for others around me. For example, every time I step into the car, I ensure I get rid of any distractions around me and be more aware of my surroundings. I found myself getting more comfortable driving, leading to me ignoring some traffic rules like not wearing a seat belt consistently or not going at the speed limit, which is something I try to discipline myself on now everyday.

All in all, driver education is a fundamental part of a collective effort to lower the number of people that lose their lives in car accidents. Arming more people with the necessary skills to be more responsible and conscientious drivers through driver education is something we need to strive for. Unfortunately, countless people don't realize this issue, especially in the fast-paced world we live in until they or a loved one faces the harsh reality of the road. Therefore, some methods to foster road safety is by using social media to bring to light the casualties caused by unsafe road practices, having stricter traffic rules, and encouraging people around us to be more cautious drivers.