My favorite childhood song growing up was from the movie Cars 1. This is one of many songs in my playlist whenever I embark on a road trip. From Interstate 5 to Route 66, I reminisce being awake all night long as a kid, reaching destinations at my family's safe hands. My favorite line of the song is, "Life's like a road that you travel on When there's one day here and the next day gone." It made me realize that Life as a highway is indicative of the many unexpected occurrences. Similarly, traveling on a highway brings uncertainty to the passengers. Another part of the song referencing the persona being a "survivor" shows how not many drivers survive in their journey. This slowly made me realize how driving is more than just transportation; it is the safe passage of people from making it to their destination of choice. With this in mind, I realized at an early age the true importance of driver safety and how we must be knowledgeable of its laws.

Driving remains an essential form of Life in American society. It is an integral part of our national image as car owners. Though many of us perform this task in our daily lives, not many drivers are well-versed, and some lack the discipline to ensure the safety of those around them. Sources from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show an estimated 19,515 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes (NHTSA, 2023). Furthermore, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes, or one person every 39 minutes. Of which, College-aged drivers are involved in 19% of drunk driving accidents. It is concerning how many people die unnecessarily due to the risks they undertake. Thus, the purpose of Driver's education is to give aspiring motorists an overview of how to become a safe driver for Life.

Driver's education is indispensable as it ensures the safety of the Driver, its passengers, and other motorists. It also teaches the fundamentals of driving, such as cockpit drills, use of signals and mirrors, proper parking, changing gears, learning traffic signs, and many more. Furthermore, these classes reduce the risk of fatalities on road trips and prevent massive car pile-ups by teaching students to remove distractions and be ready to react at all times. Driver's education also coaches students to deal with animal crossings, unexpected car emergencies, and road rages, given that they may occur at any time. This boosts the Driver's confidence and allows them to be more observant of their surroundings.
Lastly, Driver's education gives students the mechanical knowledge to locate and solve mechanical issues. Whether it's a flat tire, changing oil, or locating the radiator, the little knowledge that really does go a long way from Driver's Ed truly trains drivers to have a personal responsibility to operate and maintain an automobile.

Although these elements from Driver's Education keep a majority of us safe, not all of us are spared from being involved in accidents. Having no experience of being in a car accident, one such perfect example that I can narrate is the story of my grand-uncle. He was driving his automobile and speeding on the expressway enjoying the local scenery of the Philippines. As he was driving beyond the speed limit, he failed to realize the light truck behind him. His car went forward and collated wit its truck, ripping off the hood and shattering the glass nearby. Thankfully, both drivers survived, and to this day, my grand-uncle is still alive with minor injuries. From then on, I ensured myself and reminded others to drive responsibly and avoid bad driving habits such as speeding, given that the outcome could have gone lethal. Many argue that speeding allows motorists to reach their destination faster and overtake the traffic flow. However, this is extremely dangerous given the limited time to react and the frequent mistakes that young and inexperienced drivers could make in speeding, which would cause the loss of control of the automobile.

Despite the dangers of the road, there are solutions that drivers can take to be better and safer and help other motorists follow along—for instance, looking at the safety signs to see announcements and be encouraged to drive safely. One example would be in Arizona, where they use the catchy lyrics of to spearhead messages to motorists to "Life is a highway I wanna ride it With a seatbelt on" or "Miss your exit? It's okay. We made more ahead." These not only make the drivers happy or entertained, but it reduce accidents by encouraging them to be informed on the road of any traffic updates.







Secondly, driver instructors should utilize driving acronyms in their lesson plans. Using acronyms allows students to easily remember the rules and regulations of driver safety as they aim to memorize them frequently. Acronyms like S.A.F.E.R. (Space, Attitude, Foresight, Eyesight, Responsibility) allows drivers to make fewer errors and arrive alive at their destination. This also equips drivers with the skills needed to be competent drivers as they identify their level of awareness and build strategies to focus on the road.

Lastly, drivers who have a history of alcohol or substance abuse and are repeat offenders should be immediately put on a driver's watch list that automatically flags them as being "at risk" danger on the road. This can be easily assessed by local law enforcement and highway patrol to see if there is erratic car swerving behavior, slow reactions, or signaling that doesn't match the Driver's behavior. Furthermore, passengers of drivers under the influence should instead take over the automobile or order ride-sharing taxis such as Uber or Lyft since they have ultimately lowered the amount of drunk driving fatalities in the U.S. and are reputable for their safety.

In conclusion, by abiding by the rules and regulations, drivers follow the proper etiquette and keep others around them safe while driving. The importance of drivers' education, rigor, and discipline will bring safety to each Driver and passenger. By being alert, focused, and confident, drivers can take every step to make their journey seamless. With this, drivers can genuinely live the highway life.