As I approach this prompt, I think of my father who served in Iraq, the stories I was told of the bombings close by and the thousands of prisoners he was to guard. During the time he was in Iraq one small mistake could have led to a tragic dead. To think that more people die in car crashes than at war is mind blowing considering the challenges that come with being at war. There are so many preventative measures one can take to significantly reduce the number of fatalities each year from car accidents alone.
Driver education programs are crucial programs that reduce deaths from driving in several ways. One thing that is emphasized in these programs is the risks and consequences you would face from impaired driving or texting and driving. Students are also taught valuable ways to handle driving in hazardous situations like floods, emergency situations, avoiding collisions, road rage, and many more scenarios. Most driver education programs require you to reach a certain number of hours operating a car with an instructor to monitor. Personally, this was one of the most helpful activities from my program. My instructor helped me see that checking a blind spot is something you should always do regardless how many times you check your mirror. I still think about this frequently as I drive on the highway and think that if I didn’t check my blind spot, I would have most likely merged without seeing the car next to me. Having driving programs for kids at ages of around 15-16 aids prevention of poor driving habits before it becomes a habit later.
I was in an accident when I was young where a drunk driver hit my father and I close to our home. I was about 6 years old but remember begging my dad after daycare to go to royal farms so I could get my favorite sparkling water, Perrier. We were about to home and out of nowhere a woman slams into the stopped car. I have had friends who drive irresponsibility and quickly try to send a text or respond to a snapchat and I just nicely ask them to please wait until we get somewhere to go on their phone. It takes one second to look away from the road in front of you for someone to brake or pull out in front of you. A step I could take to become a better driver is paying attention to speed limits, they are there for a reason after many studies that is the safest speed to travel that road on. I can help others be safer by sharing stories of close friends and family members experiences of their crashes and how it affects some of their futures. Utilizing hands free technology like car play or Siri are ways to communicate if needed with someone in a much safer way while driving. Even in stressful situations staying calm regardless of how the drivers around you act is a way to promote safe driving. In addition, be an example for the younger siblings that see you drive, or kids will grow up taking after your habits and strategies of driving. Lastly, I want to stress to wear a seat belt regardless of how safe you think you drive or how short the drive is. Nearly 50% of fatal car crashes are found that the person was not wearing a seatbelt. It isn’t something that requires effort to do and eventually becomes a habit. Always wear your seatbelt to eliminate the 50% chance of dying from a car crash.
The deaths that happen related to driving incidents is a growing issue in society. The first step to improving the incidents that occur is to collect data and analysis to figure out roads where patterns of unsafe driving is happening more frequently. Another step in the right direction is implementing stricter traffic laws and following through to enforce them. If there were more speed cameras, larger fines, and more police patrol majority of people would be less likely to drive unsafely. A huge step I think is advocating people especially teenagers that it is okay to stand up for a situation they feel would put their life in risk. It happens so often where someone is at a party and then drives people home or they try to hit 150 mph to be funny and then an accident occurs that could have been stopped if someone said I don’t think this is a good idea. Every person who has survived a traumatizing crash with their friends always regrets not speaking up. You would rather have a friend who is mad at you than a friend who passed away.