I have seen car accidents, I have been in accidents, and I have had family members in accidents. My oldest son’s girlfriend lost both of her parents in a terrible car accident last year. I do my best to drive as safely as possible - I don't follow too close to the car in front of me, I always use my turn signal when turning or changing lanes, I stop at yellow lights, leave space between me and the car stopped in front of me, and check my blindspot at least twice before changing lanes.
My husband is also a very safe driver, except his habit of space between him and the car in front of him being almost non-existent. It makes me so nervous driving with him because of this. I find myself trying to press the imaginary brake on my side of the car. My sister just scares me completely when she drives. She follows too closely, turns in front of vehicles too close, pulls out in front of vehicles making them slam on their brakes, races through yellow lights, and hardly uses her blinker.
What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving?
I currently have three teenagers in different stages of learning to drive. My oldest has had his license for a year now, my middle son is working on his practice hours to attain his license, and my daughter is just starting driver's education. At each stage of their education on driving, I would quiz them about proper etiquette and laws - where do you stop at a stop sign, when do you turn on your blinker, how close should you be to the car in front of you. I want them to always be conscious of the laws, as well as what is safe.
I often say that people should have to retake the driver's course to renew their license at least every decade. If they do not pass, they should be required to retake the driver's education course. I feel this would not only make people more conscious of their own driving, but also keep the laws in the forefront of their minds. I understand that I, too, would be subjected to this rule, and I am okay with that. I also feel that people should be required to take a defensive drivers education course before receiving their license. This curriculum is not always covered in the standard driver's education, though it should be.
Both of these educational resources would make the roads much safer, in my opinion. It would reduce the number of accidents and, in turn, reduce the number of deaths due to car accidents. I also feel that CDL drivers should also be held to these standards, with similar requirements to recertify their CDL regularly. Semi truck accidents are a large contributor to death-related accidents on highways. These large trucks take vast amounts of distance to stop, have several tons of force behind their impacts, and have the ability to crush small cars with little effort. That is not including the hazardous materials they can potentially be carrying.

Have you ever had an experience of being in a car accident or have seen your friends or family members driving irresponsibly?
My earliest memory of a car accident happened when I was about ten years old. My mother was driving on the highway when a car that had thick white exhaust cut her off without using his blinker, then slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of him. His first mistake was driving a car that created a low visibility hazard due to his exhaust. His second mistake was not using his blinker to communicate that he was wanting to merge into my mother's lane. His third mistake was merging into a lane where there was no room for him. Because my mother could not see that the driver had hit his brakes through his impenetrable exhaust cloud, she ended up rear-ending him at 65 mph.
My personal experience with car accidents involved distracted drivers. I have been rear-ended twice by people not paying attention to the road. The first one was in heavy school-zone traffic while taking my children to school. A lady behind me did not see that the traffic had stopped because she was messing with the radio. She plowed into the back of my car with enough force to bend the frame, and cause me to suffer severe whiplash. My second account was when I was stopped at a red light and a lady rear-ended me because she was more worried about lighting her cigarette than paying attention to the road.
What steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road?
I try to communicate my concerns with people driving by letting them know they are making me nervous by following too closely, or asking them if a specific maneuver was really necessary (e.g. taking a turn too fast, running a yellow light). I also try to make them aware of things they are doing that are potentially dangerous, like not coming to a full stop at a stop sign, or pulling out in front of someone.
I also make sure to point out when other drivers are not doing something safe when my teenagers are in the car to help make them more aware of their own habits while driving. As an individual, I can only do so much to increase the safety of the roadways. It is up to law-makers and police officers to make and uphold safe driving laws to force people to pay more attention. Although police officers are limited by the fact that people change their driving habits when their vehicles are spotted (e.g. slowing down to be under the speed limit).
Car companies have also taken it upon themselves to create safety features in cars to make sure drivers are safe and aware of potentially dangerous driving. The invention of the seatbelt, crumple zones, airbags, sensors in the front of the car that alert a driver of possible collision conditions, backup cameras, and lane assist technology have all made an impact on reducing the number of accidents and accident related deaths. As technology advances, so do cars and the innovations within their designs.
Most car accidents are 100% preventable with proper driving. Ultimately, it is up to each driver to pay attention, follow speed limits, communicate with other drivers using turn signals, and practice defensive driving. Without everyone on the same page, there will continue to be car accidents and deaths on the roadways. It is a personal commitment to safe driving that is the most important tool to actual safe driving.