The road is a dangerous place where anything could go wrong in the blink of an eye. While it is dangerous, the road can be very safe as long as we keep it as such. Sharing awareness, information, and stories is important. Anyone can help reduce death on the road.
Firstly,It's important for new or even old drivers to be aware of how damaging things like “small” distractions like phones, music, and friends are and how easily they can be avoided. Looking at one's phone for even a second can cause so much to happen. I once saw a video, the name of which I do not remember, where there was a victim of a texting and driving accident that cost their mother and father's life while the texter was fine. She explained her situation to the teenagers who were there and the teenagers seemed to be moved and all agreed never to text and drive. I think the video was a great example of how sharing stories and examples of how small distractions cause major damage and how easily crashes can be stopped can really help reduce crashes resulting in death or at least for texting and driving crashes which is the leading cause of death via crash in younger (20-16) drivers. As long as people are in the know of things that cause crashes then they will naturally stay away from them. We must teach people just how important it is to stay focused on the road and there are a few things we can start with.
There are plenty of beginning steps that can be taken however I believe starting in school is the most important step to start with. Schools should have a class or a time in class focused on the youngest of new drivers(freshmen). The class would consist of sharing stories, statistics, and examples on crashes. Most schools, in California as far as I know, have a volunteer class that does just this, Steele canyon does this well by not allowing on-campus parking without the attendance of this class. Making this class mandatory during school hours could increase student awareness, simply put the class should focus on not exactly scaring the students into not driving but making sure they are cautious while doing so. It's also good for new drivers to think about someone they know as having done something irresponsible while driving.
I have had a few instances of irresponsible driving in my life. I had a friend that has a parent who would be driving while under the influence of alcohol a few times. I've seen family members looking at their phones while driving. These 2 examples are 2 of the most common causes of crashes, both put not only the driver but also the passengers in danger and lead to even more being hurt. In order to stop these kinds of things we all must try our best to make sure ourselves and others around us are staying safe.
There are plenty of things someone can do to help safe driving but some personal steps that anyone can take to help be safer on roads are. 1-Sharing- making sure people are aware of just how dangerous roads are and how to stay safe on them. This can be done via text, video, audio, etc. however in-person face-to-face conversations are the best way to spread awareness. 2-Informing- similar to sharing, informing can count as explaining to new drivers who are just about to begin being behind the wheel. Volunteering to have a meeting or presentation to new drivers can be a good way to get to them. Showing facts and examples is a great way as well. Showing videos of crashes may make some upset, however, it is effective in showing what can happen in just a few seconds. 3-Being an example- Parents, grandparents, family members, friends, all of these people can be good examples of safe driving and can affect how the passengers think. If a child grows up around unsafe driving the kid will grow to think those conditions are normal and safe. Having kids grow up around good examples of responsible driving will give them a good mindset. There's plenty one can do to and it doesn't matter how small because every bit counts
The main ways we can help reduce death while driving is to make sure we spread awareness, sharing stories and examples can better help people understand why they need to be careful.. We must inform new drivers of what could happen to them if they aren't 100% careful. We can all take our own steps towards helping safer roads.