When I was in high school, my family had a comedy special on DVD that we watched over and over and over. I can still quote many of the jokes word-for-word. One of the comedian’s lines was about the statistic that it’s safer to fly in a plane than drive in a car. People would quote this to him when he was scared to fly, to which he would respond, “Yeah. But if you get in a car accident, they ask if anyone’s okay. If you are in a plane crash, they ask if any one is recognizable!”
We would always laugh and nod our heads to this. “How true!” we’d exclaim.
Now, as a parent of 4 children, I find that joke a little too glib for my taste. When faced with the dark reality of how many lives are lost in car accidents each year, one has to reckon with the consequences of irresponsible driving habits. I have found myself in several fender benders that occurred from a brief moment’s distraction. While those accidents did no physical harm to anyone involved, I can clearly remember the physiological effects that followed the events. My elevated pulse, rushing adrenaline, and chattering teeth were all brought on by the moment of impact. While these subsided within a few hours following the accidents, they were highly unpleasant in the moment. As much as I would like to avoid experiencing those minor and momentary consequences, I am fortunate that I can move forward through life relatively unscathed. I can only imagine what life would be like if an accident had taken my health or the life of someone I loved.
Irresponsible driving habits have the potential to cause irreparable damage to our lives. As such, it is imperative that we educate not only ourselves, but others. To be honest, before beginning this essay, I had no idea the staggering numbers of lives lost each year. The simple presentation of the statistic that, over the next two years, it is likely that more Americans will die in car accidents than died in military engagement in the Vietnam War had a profound impact on my own perspective of responsibility. Educating drivers of the reality of their potential impact on the community around them can open minds to the value of learning safer driving habits.
Some steps that could be taken to reduce the number of driving-related deaths could include a more comprehensive education from the outset. I began driving while I was a Texas resident. In the state of Texas, you could forgo the physical driving test if you made a high enough grade on the multiple choice driving exam that was required. It is an entirely different experience to sit behind the wheel of a car than it is to study for an exam. Requiring that all new drivers complete an behind-the-wheel driving test is one easy step to creating a more comprehensive driving education. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
Beyond integrating other hands-on driving opportunities into driver education from the outset, offering drivers some form of continuing education could be a useful tool. This could come in the form of a re-envisioned Defensive Driving course, but also could include presenting education at public venues like festivals, farmers markets, or the like. Presentations could include team-building type activities that demonstrate the exponential effects of distractions or multi-tasking to our driving abilities. Also, as a parent, I could see educational materials for small children as being a helpful tool toward creating a safer driving environment within the car and consequently, on the roads as well. Coming back to that Benjamin Franklin quote: Finding ways to involve drivers and their families in the educational process would go much farther than a simple pamphlet or online exam.
Personally, I have seen recently the effects of attempting to care for my children’s needs while driving as a major factor in the safety level of my driving. I plan to implement some form of education for my kids to help them begin to understand some of the responsibilities of a driver. For example, we could play a specialized game of red-light/green-light that requires them to pay attention to the changing of a light. As we play, I could add things for them to do or give continual verbal feedback to them to help them see that it’s harder to follow the lights when you are multitasking. This could not only prepare them for the future, but will help me be able to drive well. I also have taken steps to ensure my phone is not a temptation for me as I drive. This includes setting the map before I leave the driveway, choosing any music I may want before my trip, and settling any children’s snacks from the outset.

Small decisions can have massive consequences. Taking the time to know how to drive safely and then to implement choices that coincide with that understanding is worth it. Even one safe driver could mean one life saved. Let’s get involved!