Driving education plays an extremely important role in reducing the number of deaths caused by driving, teaching drivers how to be defensive drivers and not be distracted by irrelevant matters. It should be taught to anyone who aspires to become a driver since most people are just given a car and told to drive, unaware or uncaring of the dangers that lie ahead. Some take it lightly and do not take driving as the serious matter that it truly is—they rather take it as something they have to do everyday and even stop following various traffic rules if they are late somewhere or in a hurry. Many people just drive how they please and are not told their mistakes by other people and, if they are, they just ignore them and continue with their dangerous way of driving. They do not care who they harm or the threat they are on the road, they just feel like they are in charge of their vehicle and that the way they drive should remain the same. This is a manner of thinking that should not be copied as it threatens other careful drivers and is a potential risk, especially to those who are barely starting to learn how to drive. These people are careless and feel as if nothing dangerous or life-threatening will occur but they do not know that each moment they get on the wheel other drivers are trying extremely hard to remain alive and well.
In order for the deaths related to driving to decrease, the government should set a higher minimum age for people to get their license. Many people who tend to be careless or drive recklessly are teenagers, as they feel as if nothing would happen to them since they are young and would not serve time in jail and they usually tend to be the people who like to follow rules the least. They are aware of the dangers driving has but they feel as if they would not be as “cool” if they follow all the traffic laws appropriately. They think breaking the law is fun and that they are only young once, but they do not know that by one small mistake they make when driving they risk their lives and that of others. Most teenagers think that being a responsible driver lies on the adults and not on them, as they have not reached adulthood yet. In addition to raising the minimum age for driving, the police should be more strict on reckless driving and not give the drivers a warning. Before taking the permit test, drivers are supposed to read the drivers’ manual from their specific state and know what they are allowed and prohibited from doing while driving. By giving them a warning, they feel glad that the police did not make them pay that time and therefore are not able to actually know the consequences of reckless driving. In the other hand, if these drivers are given a ticket from the police, they more than likely will learn their lesson and know that they should not do that again, as they do not want to lose the money they worked so hard to earn.
Fortunately, I have never been in a car accident but I have experienced being a passenger in the car of an irresponsible driver. This driver is my aunt and every time that I get in her car, I fear for my life since I can easily tell that she is not a careful driver. She goes fifteen miles above the speed limit, stops her car suddenly in order to not hit the car in front, and cuts into other lanes without checking much if there are other cars behind. Since I know that I do not want to drive like her, I take various steps in order to be a defensive driver and to keep myself and others safe. I drive a bit under the speed limit, check all of my mirrors often, use my turn signals on time, turn on my hazard lights when needed, check my blind spots before cutting into a lane, and more. This is the minimum safety standard that drivers should follow and one that would prevent a large number of car fatalities/accidents from occurring. Drivers should be more carefully evaluated when taking their driver’s license test in order to have less careless drivers roaming around, risking the lives of others. They should acknowledge the fact that they are not on their own in the streets and that there is a standard that should be followed in order to lower the amount of deaths caused by car accidents.