It's
a war zone out there, safen up




Imagine being a male teen of
age 16, over the moon excited about obtaining your driver’s
license. Fast forward two years later, turning 18 and having to
register for selective services within 30 days of your birthday. I
bet the thrill of getting your license is definitely not the same as
enlisting for selective services. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news
but, being on the road puts your life in the same risk that a
battlefield would. It's a war zone out there, but it doesn't have to
be for much longer; not as long as every driver takes the necessary
precautions needed to safen up.   


After countless researches
depicting the large sum of car accidents that takes place every year,
it is clear that there is a greater need for educated drivers if we
ever want to see a decrease in those numbers.  Having the skills
to pass the road test is only the start of the journey. Drivers
education ensures the safety of not only the driver but the
pedestrians as well. The knowledge obtained from education programs
can result in lower crash rates and a more positive attitude behind
the wheels. In a matter of life and death, drivers are given major
responsibilities such as being on full alert of their surroundings,
sober, and respecting of driving laws at all times.



In an attempt to reduce the
number of driving-related deaths, it’ll be productive to offer
drivers ed courses to high school students. After all, it's
around the age of 14-18 that teens get their learner’s or driver’s
license depending on the state they live in. So why not instill those
good driving qualities within them in the beginning to lessen the
chances of them becoming negligent drivers in the future. Study shows
that younger newer drivers have higher crash rates; an effective way
to reach out to the younger crowd is in a high school setting, where
their brains are already prepped for learning. Furthermore, getting a
learner’s permit is a privilege that many overlooks. I often hear
comments like, “the test is so easy that I passed on my first try
without even studying. It's all common sense. You’ll have to be
really stupid to fail that test.” This mentality is dangerous hence
it gives the impression that even a naive clueless person can get
their permit. The test should be thought-provoking and consist of
more real-life driving scenarios to train drivers’ critical
thinking skills. This way they’ll be more prepared and aware of
silly mistakes that often lead to accidents.


Although
I'm lucky enough to say that I’ve never been in a car accident, I
have lost two friends in fatal collisions. The first occurrence took
place in broad daylight when a driver got distracted by a cell phone
notification, took his eyes off the roads for 3 seconds and crashed
into my friend’s car. My friend was pronounced dead at the scene
while the driver made it out alive. The other crash happened on a
highway at around midnight when an intoxicated driver crashed into my
friend’s car; although she sat in the passenger seat, the impact
from the collision was so strong that she died on her way to the
hospital. You would assume the drivers that caused the accident would
be better informed of the dangers of cell phone distractions and
driving while intoxicated. However, this was not the case; their lack
of drivers ed costed the lives of two individuals. The madness
had to end; Let's help one another feel safer on the roads by
educating ourselves on the ins and outs of driving and not just the
act of it. If you see a family member or friend being irresponsible
behind the wheel, remind them of what a privilege it is being able to
drive and how quickly that can be taken away. Who knows, in doing you
so you might be saving a life.