Although there have been many advances in automobiles and their efficiency, the main issue now at hand is the people on the road in those vehicles. Driver’s Ed is the first step towards driving legally, and unfortunately, the reality is that drivers have begun to forget what they’ve learned, and it has been the cause of many accidents and deaths over the years.
In an attempt to reduce the number of deaths due to driving, driver education is a crucial factor that could help achieve our goals. Driver education would help new and current drivers realize that they are not only driving for themselves but for everyone else as well. Driver education would also either teach or remind drivers of road etiquette, bringing awareness to the dangers of reckless driving and urging drivers to be responsible in their decisions when it comes to driving.
The steps experienced and upcoming drivers could take to reduce the number of deaths related to driving are things like making sure your car is operating correctly to prevent any spontaneous accidents while on the road, avoiding driving while under the influence, and texting while driving. Texting while driving and driving under the influence are both some of the most frequent reasons why the death toll by driving is so high. Also, it would be imperative for drivers to remember that staying as calm as possible while driving is important because emotions like anger could cause irresponsible decisions. Another suggestion for drivers is to take a class on driving education and etiquette as a refresher every other year to keep that crucial information fresh in a driver’s head.
I have experienced both being in a car accident, and I have seen my family being affected by a car accident. I was in the car with my mom, grandfather, and little sister when I was younger. We were stuck in mild traffic, my mom was driving, and conversation and laughter filled the whole car. The high positive energy of the car stopped when we heard a line of cars start crashing into each other, and the sound got louder rapidly. After my mom moved from the lane in which she thought the crashes were occurring, she tried to look back at my sister and see if we were okay, and as soon as she started to turn her head, our car got hit. The hit from the car behind us caused my mom to snap her head forward and become terrifyingly stiff and quiet; she could not move her neck. Both my mom and grandfather tried their best to de-escalate the situation. I knew something was wrong. The car that started the crash and the one that crashed into us both drove off and didn’t check to see if we were okay. After seeing my mom being taken away from me on a stretcher by the ambulance and being in the waiting room of the hospital praying that my mom would be okay, I could never forget it. After that accident, I feared the day that I would have to learn how to drive. Still, over time, I changed my mindset and decided that instead of being afraid for the rest of my life, I would learn how to drive and make sure that I will always make sure I drive responsibly for me, my family, friends, other drivers, and pedestrians. Another incident where my family was affected by a car accident due to the reckless driving of others was when my aunt and uncle were in a car crash when they were on their way back home due to another person’s irresponsible driving. This accident was a horrifying reminder of how important it is for all drivers to remember the road rules and how to drive responsibly. I was not able to get into contact with my aunt or uncle for an excruciatingly long amount of days because they were admitted to the hospital, and they needed time to calm down from the incident and recover. Hearing news about their situation made my heart drop, and for the first time in years, I was terrified because of something that was the result of reckless driving. One of the first things that I thought of, aside from the health of my aunt and uncle, was the fact that some people might forget the rules of the road. Drivers should be required to take a refresher class on the rules of the road to prevent someone from trying to make the excuse of forgetting anything related to driving.
The steps that I could take to be a better and safer driver and help others on the road is to install a phone mount in the car so I can see and listen to the directions from my GPS when I am going somewhere unfamiliar. Even though it is a glance at my GPS, I know that the quickest glance away from the road could mean life or death, so installing a phone mount into my car will make my driving safer for myself and others around me.