As a college student myself, I understand firsthand what it is like to be around people in a generation that take many risks without thinking twice. When it comes to driving, not only do your decisions affect yourself and those in your car but can greatly affect anyone on the road around you. It is important to reduce the number of deaths resulting from driving accidents as changed behaviors can prevent poor decisions being made that could lead to someone’s entire life changing. Although Driver’s Ed and the license test is supposed to qualify an individual to legally drive on the road, it is necessary that those who have a license maintain their credentials throughout their driving careers. To further this point, many people in health care professions are required to obtain Continuing Education Units (or CEU’s) to maintain their careers. It is necessary that individuals who drive do the same, as both entities affect those around the individual whether it be the health care they are receiving, or the road they are driving on. Ensuring that drivers continue to be education on the rules and laws in place could reduce the number of deaths by driving as they will be reminded regularly of the consequences. Educating an individual can shape their behavior, so if there is proper and regular education, the behavior should follow. With respectable behaviors towards driving, there will be fewer poor decisions being made and therefore less accidents as a result.
Because I have lived on a campus with college students, I have seen many poor decisions being made when it comes to drinking and driving. Though these situations were unrelated to me or friends, when an accident on campus happens, it is made evident how it unfolded. Though I would try to stop someone, be it a stranger or a friend, from making a poor decision about drinking and driving, the situations I have witnessed in my undergraduate career thus far had already taken place and students were feeling the effects afterwards. It is not acceptable that a poor decision by a student could change the life of an innocent bystander or opposing driver. It is irresponsible to make a decision that could hurt or kill someone who did not have a part in that decision process. Nevertheless, these situations continue to happen and ruin the lives of thousands. Therefore, we need to act as a community of collective drivers and understand that there needs to be a change. There can not continue to be an insanely high number of deaths due to a preventable cause. Educating individuals and showing the consequences from real-life situations can influence drivers to make better decisions and preserve the life of themselves and those around them.
Not only are people of my generation risking drinking and driving, but there are many who believe texting and driving is harmless. I have witnessed texting and driving firsthand, and I always offer to send the text or operate the phone myself for the driver. I intervene in these situations because distracted driving is easily preventable if the driver makes the conscious decision to not be distracted whilst operating a vehicle. Asking the individual that I am driving with if they would rather I perform the task at hand on the phone instead of them has a great impact on the situation because I am not only taking the danger out of the situation, but I am also reminding the person that they should not be doing anything that is of a distracting nature while operating a vehicle. I think that more actions like this can help enforce the rules in place to prevent accidents and therefore deaths.
Consistent education combined with every driver and passenger taking individual action to follow the rules and remind each other of the laws and consequences can help lower the number of deaths caused by car accidents each year. Pushing for behavioral changes will allow each driver behind the wheel an opportunity to prevent negative outcomes for everybody involved. It is also important to remember that the effect of car accidents and deaths by driving extends beyond those directly involved. Each person has a system of people that they call their family or their support system. Everyone in that system is affected by the loss of an individual that holds a place in their hearts. Reducing the number of deaths by driving is not solely an individual effort but needs to be supported by everyone who is able to drive. This collective effort can not only save lives but prevent precious lives from being taken.