According to NSC, a total of 44,680 people have died in preventable car accidents in the year 2024. The article goes on to describe how “Risky driving behaviors remain major factors in roadway fatalities” with distracted driving at the forefront of the issue. It would seem that this would be from a lack of proper awareness and education when it comes to safely operating a motor vehicle. Together, we will be considering what factors the education of drivers play into preventing the preventable casualties on the road.

Education is Everything
While in school I heard it and I’m quite sure you have too. That being that education is everything. This Principle is not only applicable for numbers and the ABCs, but also for proper use in a car. Think of a football player, how can he play the game safely, let alone at all, unless he is aware of the rules? They would have to learn how to properly put on gear, when to stop a play, and how to take in consideration the way their opponents would behave on the field.
LIkewise, before a driver should get behind a wheel, they should be well versed in the rules of the roads and its ethos. In other words, both the law and the way people behave on the roads. If someone doesn’t understand the rules, nor ethos they would be as that football player running out onto the field with no knowledge of the game or padding. Think about this yourself, I know in my personal experience understanding the rules was of the utmost importance, but paying attention to areas I commonly drove in and how others behaved was too. Again to the football player, he must know the rules, and how his opponents react to his team.

The Practicum Of Driving
With the understanding of the importance of proper driver’s education, let us now consider the way this looks in our lives. I’m sure we have all been there, you're cruising down the road and you see a yellow light! What is your response? Perhaps you speed through, or perhaps you slow down. What do you do?
In most situations on the road we must think before we act. It is a rather childish thought, but a true one nonetheless. A driver with education and awareness would know to slow down when and proceed with caution. You are unaware of what the actions of the cars around you would be. One may start rolling before their green and SMACK you’re part of a statistic.
We should consider the acronym SIPDE. First, we look in front of us where our destination is in order to better measure out our possible time. Second, we spend time identifying problems that may occur (think back to the readiness of the football player). Then we predict our observations. Then we decide what our course of action is. Then we Execute our plan. If we follow this fantastic acronym then we’d be driving safely in no time.

Defense is Everything
Finally, I’d like to propose one last thing. That being on the road we must always drive defensively. What in the dickens do I mean? Think back to the situation with the yellow light. For the one who drove through they missed the predict stage of SIPDE. Meaning they drove as though their choice is the best and the only one which will transpire. This sadly is most drivers on our American roadways today. You yourself may be guilty of this.
We must drive as though everyone operates like this. Choosing what may not be the most convenient way, but the safest. I was up in a busy city one day when I found myself in the wrong lane. I had wanted to turn right, but I had stayed in the middle lane. At first, I thought “ No one is looking, I can scoot on over and take my turn.” Luckily for me, I had someone in the car who corrected me. I am guilty of this very thing. We must be willing to take longer to go where we want to go for the benefit of all.

My hope is now after our time processing and meditating on the perspective presented here we would consider the importance of driver’s education and the practicum with it. It is only together that we will be able to make this preventable tragedy come to an end.