Encouraging Safe Drivers

Grace Wegner

11/21/19

Encouraging Safe Drivers

Life these days revolves around transportation.  Two hundred years ago, we traveled by horse and buggy; cars weren’t even invented.  Now, we rely heavily on cars and buses to get us to work, to visit family, or to go to the grocery store. Since we use them so often, we should start to seriously consider how dangerous they are and think of how we can decrease driver deaths and accidents.

Driver education is the first step to entering the driving world.  Most drivers must go through a drivers ed class in order to get their license.  Getting this education is key to raising good drivers. These classes offer knowledge that will help stop dumb accidents from happening.  They give information that prevent accidents due to driver error. Therefore, drivers ed is very important in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving.

Outside of educating new drivers, we can also continue to educate current drivers on changing laws, technology, and techniques.  This will help ensure that all drivers are on the same page while on the road. Another step that can be taken to reduce accidents is integrating driver safety into school curriculum.  If students started to learn about driving younger, say in 7th grade, their knowledge and understanding about laws and techniques would be much greater than starting in 9th grade. By learning about driving many years in a row, they’re more likely to remember and comprehend more.  

Aside from education, driving cautious is another way to make the roads safer.  Things like driving slower in bad weather conditions, wearing a seatbelt, not driving under the influence, and knowing where you’re going are simple actions that can make you a safer driver.  If you are a driver, don’t tailgate or cut people off; go slow when the roads are icy or it’s raining. If you are a passenger, don’t try to show the driver something on the phone or cause the driver to look away from the road.  If you are talking to someone who is driving, stop texting them. Keep them off their phone, or at the very most, call them. Finally, don’t pressure anyone who is driving to do something dangerous. Sure, it might not cause a crash this time, but eventually it will. Better to be safe than dead.

I have been fortunate enough to not have been in a serious car accident, either driving or as a passenger.  However, I still take steps to ensure that I don’t cause an accident and that I am safe if I do. Living in northern Wisconsin, I hear of accidents daily due to deer or icy roads.  Those are accidents that cannot be helped. Hearing of an accident caused by a distracted driver is heartbreaking because you know that that accident could have been prevented. We must start thinking about other drivers on the roads and put the distractions away.