The village of Glenview, my hometown in the suburbs of Chicago was home to 47,258 people in 2018. If my village was the entire population of the United States, a staggering 83% or 39,404 of them would have died in motor vehicle accidents. We as a nation must do better in terms of drivers ed to reduce driving related deaths.

Drivers ed classes must become the groundwork for every driver on the road. By laying the foundation for how to drive defensively and with common sense, we work to reduce driving deaths. It is critical that drivers ed classes work to implement common sense driving into their curriculum, sooner rather than later. An example of this is when explaining right of way. Yes, a driver going forward has the right of way over someone turning right on a red. However, that isn’t to say that you should throw caution to the wind when coming up on an intersection, in case the driver turning right doesn’t yield. This step can prevent drivers from lulling themselves into a false sense of security while operating their vehicle, teaching them to remain vigilant at all times while driving.

An easy step to reduce driving related deaths is to make recording local usage data (LUDs) for all parties involved in any car accidents on a police report. LUDs are the record of calls and texts from a cell phone. This will reduce driving deaths because it deters people from using their phones while driving, one of the fastest growing causes of car deaths at 15% per year according to the American Public Health Association. By deterring people from being distracted drivers, we directly lower the death rate from driving.

From personal experience, I have been in a high impact accident while driving. As I was turning, a person texting and driving blew through a yellow light 15 miles above the posted speed limit and hit my back wheel. It cracked the axel and shattered the quarterpanel, totaling the car. I was lucky to walk away with only minor injuries, and the other driver was as well. The idea of both common sense and defensive driving was further instilled in me that day, a lesson I take with me very time I turn the key in the ignition.

I can become a safer driver by always remaining vigilant behind the wheel, especially while driving on the highway. I, along with many others sometimes get complacent when driving on the highway, and that reduces vigilance with operating a vehicle. In addition, I can pass these lessons on to my sister, who is up for her license later this year when she finishes her drivers ed classes.

Let’s work together to turn the 83% of Glenview down to 0% by doing our parts to drive safely.