“Speed thrills but kills”
Speeding and distracted driving are factors that contribute to a lot of automobile accidents every year, in the U.S. according to statistics from 2023, about 29 percent of all fatalities involved speeding as a factor (NSC Injury Facts, 2025). Statistics from 2023 show that distracted driving (cell phone use, daydreaming, grooming, etc) accounted for almost 3300 deaths (Distracted driving, 2025). Weather conditions are also a factor in how fast a motorist should drive. Certain conditions, such as heavy rain, ice, deep snow, call for additional stopping time and extra caution. A motorist should allow extra travel time as a slower speed is safer.
Increasing driver education is one way to reduce the number of deaths associated with motor vehicle deaths. Everyone can have a role. Teens, who are often more willing to listen to their peers, can call attention to other teens' unsafe driving habits. Parents and educators can provide information on the local chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions, which can be obtained directly from the SADD website (National Highway, 2025). If no local chapter is available, find out how to start one. Grassroots initiatives are especially important since driver education was phased out of the school curriculum.
Next, incentives are powerful motivators. As the cost of car insurance and goods continue to rise, insurance companies often offer a discount for drivers who take pre-approved education courses. Arizona offers a defensive driving course which provides discounts on insurance (DMVEdu Arizona Defensive driving course, 2025). This can be a segway to parents having conversations with young drivers on the importance of safe driving. Parents can also offer incentives to their teens for safe driving. For example, if they have no tickets or driving incidents for a year, they can go out to their favorite restaurant. School officials can also help with education. There was no driver’s education offered when I was in high school. However, in my health class, the teacher showed videos on safe driving and the dangers of driving under the influence. On the video, some young people were at a party, then decided to drive, even though they had been drinking. The driver claimed, “I drank some coffee. We’ll be ok.” The girlfriend agreed, “We've been drunker than this and we got home ok.” It didn’t show the car crash but we saw the after effects. One passenger died and another was confined to a wheelchair. We viewed this video in the 1990s and it has stuck with me all these years. This highlights that education cannot be underestimated. Some will heed the lesson even when others may not.
Another step to reduce the number of car crashes is to take personal responsibility. Most people, when asked, are able to recite the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol or other substances. However, it’s important to educate on the dangers of driving while drowsy such as, slowed reaction time, decreased awareness or impairment of judgment (Drowsy Driving, 2025). It’s important to be aware of these dangers to avoid fatigue related care crashes. Motorists also want to pay attention to traffic signs and the traffic light. Several years ago, my son and I were involved in a car accident when someone ran a red light. I don’t know if he was in a hurry to get somewhere or just felt like he could beat the light. That accident could’ve been avoided had heeded the traffic signal.





Warning Signs of Drowsiness and Fatigue



Tips to Avoid Driving while Tired
 



Unable to remember the last few miles driven

Difficulty focusing or keeping your eyes open


Stop driving




Wandering or disconnected thoughts




Go to a safe location and take a nap for 15 to 20 minutes




Lane drifting or hitting a rumble strip

Repeated yawning


Take breaks at rest areas or travel plazas

Avoid alcohol




Tailgate or miss traffic signs


Travel with someone
Switch drivers frequently



Needing to move your vehicle back into your lane quickly


Get plenty of rest before a trip




Trouble keeping your head up

(Drowsy driving, 2025)


Be alert to signs of fatigue/tiredness and act accordingly

(Drowsy driving, 2025)






A final cause of distracted driving is cell phone use. In a time like the 1980s, it was common for people to only have a phone at home. Upon the arrival of the answering machine and later voicemail, allowed one to check messages after returning home. Fast forward till today, it’s easier than ever to stay connected with personal and professional contacts. However, this connection brings the danger of distraction while driving as it can be tempting to check your phone when you hear a notification or look up a song on your playlist. Some people use the snooze feature to mute notifications while driving, as a safety feature to avoid the temptation to check their phone. I’m always looking for ways to improve my driving by lining up my playlists prior to starting to drive, adjusting the temperature, getting plenty of rest, sharing the driving during long trips, paying attention to traffic signs/lights and driving at an appropriate speed for the road conditions.