It was the summer of 2019, the day I almost lost my husband because a reckless motorist crashed into him while speeding onto Interstate 95. I received a frantic phone call from him about the accident while I was working. I left my job early and drove to where he was and to my dismay, our work vehicle was totaled at the scene. It was a miracle that he survived but for the following four years, my husband suffered severe lower back pain that throbbed to the back of his knee not allowing him to walk well.
Today, we are at an advantage that many people 20 years ago did not fathom in the automobile industry. We now have automatic breaking, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and many more safety features that we can use every day in automobiles to keep us safe. But regardless of whether we have those features installed in our cars, driver education plays a crucial role in avoiding situations such as what happened to my husband as well as potential deaths by driving. Driver education helps inform everyday drivers the risks of reckless driving, inform them of safe keeping technologies that cars offer today and how to use them appropriately, and it creates awareness in people to be attentive towards vulnerable people with no protection on the road. Let’s see what exactly that entails.
The first thing that comes to mind regarding driver education is informing people about the risks of reckless driving. How is that done? By providing knowledge of traffic laws, defensive driving courses, testimonials of families that have lost loved ones due to reckless driving, information on the risks of speeding and distracted driving, and education on the effects of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. This will help change the mindset in people by making them aware of their everyday actions on the road and make them mindful that they are not the only ones on the road. There are other drivers around them that they need to keep safe. Due to driving under the influence, a family friend while high on cocaine sped and crashed into a bus one night driving home from work. His body split in half as the he collided into the vehicle in front of him, leaving his children, wife, and friends behind.
Moreover, through instilling education for safe driving practices to reduce death by driving you can also promote the use of new technology in vehicles such as automatic breaking, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, telematics, and keeping up to date with the latest safety features you can install your car. One of my favorite technologies that can be used today is a telematics system. This system helps drivers determine how often do they make sudden breaks, if they are going too slow or too fast, and monitors your location. Insurance companies offer a telematics device to plug into your vehicle or a downloadable phone application upon enrollment and incentivizes customers with better rates if the system determines they are driving safely. Although my car does not have all the bells and whistles, I can choose to put my iPhone on driving mode to reduce notifications of phone calls and text messages while driving. Putting the phone down ensures attentiveness on the road.
Lastly, driver education in reducing the number of deaths by driving is imperative because it helps drivers be more attentive and respectful toward vulnerable people on the road such as pedestrians, children walking on their way to school, cyclists, and people that have no protection while on the road. This creates a responsibility in people to commit to keeping others safe. It will also reduce the anxiety in people about doing what they love and what they need to do, such as walking outside or riding their bike on the side of the road. No one should feel unsafe while walking a crosswalk or cruising on their bike.
I am happy to say that five years after the accident, my husband is fully healed. He was able to recover with prayer and the proper care for his lower back. It is because of him that I believe in the importance of driver education. Not only does it promote the use of vehicle safety features, but also guarantees people are attentive and cautious while on the road, and it ensures we respect and keep vulnerable people that have no protection safe while on the street. While it may not make the world a better place, we can ensure that our local communities are better. Not everyone will follow the same direction, but even if it changes the mindset of one person, that is one person that can change the trajectory of many people’s lives by implanting safe driving practices.