Controlling a Lethal Weapon

The importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving is extremely immense. I remember being in driver’s ed and being absolutely floored by the sheer amount of human life that is lost due to car accidents every year, every month, even every day. I, myself have been in a car accident as well as known people who have died because of a car accident and they have been great losses of both young, and more experienced life. I was in an accident when my grandpa fell asleep at the wheel on the highway, which led to us (my grandpa, my mom, and me) hitting the barrier and rolling one and a half times. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt and there was an ENT in the car behind us who was able to help. I have known the son of close family friends who died in his late 20’s in a motorcycle v.s. vehicle accident due to reckless driving. Even this year, the best friend of one of my friends died from injuries from a car accident, at only 17 years old, my current age. Both of these people, and many more I am certain, died too young, the cost of reckless and un-informed driving. I am grateful every day that I had luck on my side on the day of my accident. Anyone who wants to get their license and be a part of the driving community should have to know and understand that they are sitting in and controlling one of the most lethal weapons to ever exist. Knowing the power that you hold when in a car, along with learning how to properly control it and learning the law that protects you can make all the difference between life and death on the road.

As an individual, I can take action by speaking up when I am in the car with someone and feel that they have done something that put me or others in danger. In the same respect, I can be sure to take any suggestions that others offer to be about how to be a safer driver truly to heart. I can honestly say that every time I am on the road, I think about those people who die every day from reckless driving and I think, ‘What if I am next? What if my mom, dad, or best friend is next?’ I hope that I never have to be the family member who gets a phone call that their loved one has been in a fatal car accident, but unfortunately, the odds are, that someday I will be. I know that I would not be as considerate about my driving skills without driver’s ed, and I know that the same can be said for many my age. My hope is that we can somehow implement away in the future for adults to take a refresher course, maybe every 10 years so that it remains fresh in every driver’s mind the risk that they take every time they get behind the wheel of that lethal weapon. The reality is, if we, as a country can improve our driver’s education outreach and improve education on road safety and the consequences of recklessness, we can decrease that daily number. We can make a change for a better driving community, and good driver’s education is the only way to start.