The second you sit in the driver’s seat and turn on that car, you become responsible for numerous lives. Whether they are inside or outside of the car, those lives are in your hands. When you put it that way, people should take the idea of driving more seriously, right? But unfortunately, it is not. In Florida alone, 395,098 crashes occurred in 2023 according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. And of those 395,098 crashes, 3,412 fatalities occurred. That is more than 3,000 lives that had been taken from us, and these numbers belong to just one state.
As a child, the idea of getting my license was something that felt easy. In my mind it was just “pass the driving test, get the I.D.” and I would be on my way. But now, when I have finally reached this milestone in my life, it is so much more than that. Driving is a key to freedom, it opens an entire world allowing you to travel, visit and see new things, see friends and family, and so much more. However, at the same time, a car can become a weapon in the wrong hands. One uneducated or impaired person at the wheel can cause a life altering accident for many. In getting my license, I had to face this fact and understand that there are grave consequences for driving without the proper lessons. While in the process of obtaining my permit, I had to review the Florida Class E Driver License Handbook and was surprised with how I did not know there were so many symbols and rules to follow on the road, and even more surprised when I realized many of these rules weren’t being observed and followed. Even the tiniest detail of wearing a seatbelt can determine if you get to see another day, and I genuinely think this should be emphasized when teaching driver education. We do not understand how crucial it is to study the handbooks, and I genuinely believe if we could follow the laws and regulations, we could reduce crash fatalities and injuries.
Out of the many dangerous driving practices, I would like to tackle the issue that has personally affected me: distracted driving. In our modern world it is safe to say that we have come a long way in our technology, being able to access the world in a device that can fit in our palm. But sadly, we have become quite dependent on it, and it is now the main source of distracted driving. I would know as I have been involved in an accident with someone who did not understand the dangers. While driving on the interstate with my family, though driving within the speed limit and following all precautions, we were hit by a distracted driver that swerved into the left side of our vehicle and sent us flying into the shoulder of the highway, braking with only a few feet to spare before we could have landed into the merging lane. It was an accident we never forgot, and to this day has me anxious about other possible absentminded people in the driver’s seat. Which brings us to one fact, even the most skilled driver cannot ensure their safety if others are acting carelessly on the road. Which is why if we want to secure a future with safer roads we need to come together to educate and teach the importance of driving education.
In a world where so many things can go wrong while navigating the freeway, whether it be DUI, distractions, or vehicular malfunctions, it is best to practice the safest procedures than to take chances. The way you can create a path forward to safer streets is to remove all distractions from yourself while at the wheel. Also, educate yourself and those around you on the safest ways to drive, and if you or someone you know practices unsafe driving habits try to work and improve on them. Surely then you can be an example to others, new or experienced, in how to be a model driver, not just for the sake of themselves but to everyone on the road. We must teach those who do not know better and reform those who drive dangerously, or else how can we expect to have a safe community without being willing to adopt safe habits? We as a people must work together to provide a safe environment.