Drive Safe

In 2017 the total fatalities due to car accidents was 40,327 people. In order to lower that number, people need to know the necessity of being a safe driver. After reading the statistics about car accidents and deaths due to them, I learned there has been more deaths from car accidents than in some of the major wars that the United States has been involved in. Safe driving needs to be talked about, especially among younger people. No issue is ever solved if it is not talked about.

Simple driving education can shape the minds of people to be more proactive and alert drivers. There is not a single person that doesn’t know of a friend, family member, or even an acquaintance that has not been in a car accident. Drivers ed talks about issues that could occur and other advice to make sure a person is driving safe. After a while of driving though, kids especially, don’t take the laws and advice too seriously. One piece of advice I didn’t listen to that caused me to undergo something traumatic is about hydroplaning. Just three weeks ago I was taking an exit switching interstates and my car hydroplaned. My car spun in a circle and slid into a ditch. I had never been more scared of being in a car because I had no control over what was happening. I was in the driver’s seat, the position that controls the entire car, and yet I had zero control of where my car was going or how fast. Another incident, a few months ago, one of my friends was partaking in drinking at a party. She wanted to drive home in time for curfew, but she didn’t seem to understand there are other people on the road and driving impaired puts herself and others at risk of injury or even death. It is hard for me to believe that an 18 year old girl doesn’t understand that driving while under the influence won’t just put her in danger, but also the other innocent people on the road. Education on the topic will clear up misconceptions and will prepare a person for future incidences, with that being said, safety precautions should continue to be expressed even after initial drivers ed. Education shouldn’t stop the older you get, it should continue for a lifetime.

Personally, when I see a sign above the innerstate showing the statistics of car accidents, it causes me to think and focus on my driving. Even just getting reminded of how dangerous driving can be will help people be more cautious while driving. One step that schools can take to reduce the number of teen deaths due to car accidents is hire a speaker to talk about it more in depth. One other precaution they could take is requiring a section of driving safety in health classes. We can reduce the number of deaths due to driving if we talk and educate people about the problem.