A machine that glides effortlessly on rubber wheels, its movements are exact but its potential lays in the hands of the driver. A way to conveniently get to a desired location or with a simple mistake a trip to the hospital or worse. With the deciding factor being the driver of the car; would not you think it would be important to have them be well educated and have their full attention on driving. Even though drivers’ education is available, not everyone takes the classes which means some people may not be aware of the dangers of driving and the steps to avoid dangerous driving.
Some may think driving skills develop over time but there is key information you should be taught before you experience a situation. Problems arise when people least expect them. For example, Sarah, age16, was driving her two younger siblings to their elementary school. She is running late but it is almost winter break, so it is still a good day. It is cold and snowy, but the roads are mostly clear. Her parents work full time, so she is responsible for getting her siblings to school. She got her license last month. This is her first time driving by herself in the snow. She goes over the bridge. The car skids. Now this could go two ways; either Sarah knows what to do or she does not. What helps her in this situation is drivers’ education. Although it is only a class it makes the difference between surviving or being added to the statistics. It is not only her life, and her siblings’ lives that were saved but those who were in cars near her who could have been hit had she not watched a video of this situation and learned how to react. Not only does drivers education teach you the laws and the logistical part of operating a car during the classroom portion, but you also get to practice this during the hands-on driving experiences. The teacher gives constructive feedback to help you improve so you know what to do when the unexpected happens. It shows videos of different scenarios and shows the different outcomes that resulted based on the response of the driver. Seeing the cars with dings, smoking or flipping on their roofs leaves an impression. But what I found to be most impactful were the survivors’ stories. A man in a wheelchair talking about why you should not text while driving because someone hit him that was distracted, a mother talking about her son who died because a friend was driving 120 mph and lost control, a brother talking about a drunk driver that hit his brother and left him with a severe brain injury; these are the stories that really affected me and made me realize the significance of the decisions I make when driving.
If driver education can reduce deaths, then what other steps be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving? Well, there are many factors that can affect the number of deaths related to driving, one modifiable risk factor that causes accidents is being tired. Something as simple as getting enough sleep so you do not drive tired decreases your risk of having an accident. If people do not get enough sleep their alertness will be impacted, and the quick decisions and reactions will not happen when needed. I am not saying you need to sleep for 12 hours but you need enough sleep to be able to have peak reaction times because seconds do matter. Another factor that can affect driving casualty numbers is drivers paying attention to driving. Some states such as Indiana have a hands-free law but not every state. A quick glance down at a phone gives time for error and diverted attention. A person cannot see the road when they are scrolling through messages. If their heads were up, they could have seen the pedestrian crossing the road. A single decision affects not only their lives but others. States could intervene by setting stricter laws and harsher punishments for violations.
I personally have seen my friends drive irresponsible. I have seen them focus on unimportant conversations and changing the music on their phones rather than paying attention to the road. My father is a tow truck driver and many times I have heard stories of tired drivers having accidents. The teenager who took the highway since they were in a rush and did not come home at night. One of the most impactful things I have seen was at a tow truck convention, it was the cones with the hard hats and vests that represented the workers that will not be able to come home to their families because of irresponsible drivers. I think having public service announcements play during popular sporting events to increase awareness of these issues could really impact road safety,
I personally turn my phone off while driving to make sure I am not tempted to check on it or call someone. Even if I have something important to discuss with a person I can always pull over or wait till I arrive at my destination. While I may believe that it is important in the moment, it will have little relevance in a couple of hours or days. What will have an impact is if I hit another car by not paying attention or hitting a pedestrian which can potentially take a person life. Another thing I personally do is to educate others about the dangers of distracted driving and the importance of driver education on social media. While I do not have a large platform on social media, the people I do have connections with are in the category of people who are inclined to perform dangerous activities while driving and if it only changes one person’s behavior it may save many lives.
Life is short, why not spend the extra couple of hours going to drivers education if it can add an extra year, decade, or more to people’s lives. Encourage people you know to drive smartly, pay attention, and be responsible because when driving the machine’s power lies solely in the hands of the driver and knowing what to do in an emergency will have lasting consequences.