Fatalities related to driving in America are on average 34,000. While the numbers represent the statistics, they also represent the lives of thousands lost. People with friends and families and whole lives taken due to lack of safety and education promoted for drivers of all ages. When people set out on the road, their lives and the lives of others are always at risk due to the lack of proper driver education. That should not have to be an issue but the reality is that it is. Driver education is so important in the reduction of deaths as a result of driving. New and old drivers-even people not yet learning to drive-must take the action seriously. That means studying the laws of driving in their respective states, maintaining knowledge of the roads as well as their vehicles, and keeping a level head when on the road.The honing of these skills needed to be a safe driver for individuals, passengers, and other drivers on the road is imperative to reducing that 34,000 fatality rate.
Whether it's brushing up on skill sets as an experienced driver to remain in the know, taking care of one’s vehicle, and knowing the basic laws regarding driving while incapacitated, all these little-yet important things-would ensure all drivers alike as well as pedestrians and passengers can keep one another safe. Important steps to be taken include regularly getting your vehicle checked out and getting whatever needs fixed and properly updated. Such as brakes, rearview mirrors, tires, the engine, and regular oil changes to name a few. When a car is in good shape and well maintained, the driver is less at risk of accidents when on the road. Though knowledge of maintaining a vehicle can be quite difficult, knowing the basics and relying on trusted professionals can be integral to the safety of a vehicle and the individual who owns it.
Other important steps can be for drivers to regularly be in the know of current driving laws in their area and what has been updated. Each state within America has their own set of drivers etiquette and safety as well as traffic laws. When drivers are well educated regarding the road, there is less room for error. Maintaining one's mental capacity as well is important in order to reduce deaths related to drunk driving, falling asleep at the wheel, and ensuring one is mentally capable to drive a car. When an individual is healthy and aware, concentration while driving is less of a struggle. Having a clear level head when driving-no distractions either from phones or headphones- makes for a smooth ride on the road.
In relation to my respect regarding safe driving, my own personal accounts of car accidents further emphasize my clear stance on drivers education. There have been two instances in my life where I have personally been involved in a car accident or adjacent to one and a story of a lost family member from a car accident. The first one, I was around eight when the accident happened. After leaving a friendly get together my mom had crashed through a school fence and hit a fire hydrant. It was dark, the roads were slippery from earlier rain, and my then infant brother was in the back seat while I rode passenger with my mom. I remember the force of hitting that fence shocked me. Our windshield was damaged and the fire hydrant had sprayed water into the car. No one was hurt but the car was in bad shape.
I was twenty and riding in a car with three friends the second time. I once again was a sitting passenger and the driver who I was close to at the time started exhibiting behavior I had never witnessed from him. He began joking about the state of his car and how now that he paid it off he could do what he wanted. He often used illegal u-turns and speeded. This particular night we were on the streets near my community college and his behavior became disturbing as he thought it was funny to drive recklessly. At one point he had taken off the gear joking as he thought it was “crazy” his car could do that. As he did so he began swerving and I became so frightened I had tried to push him to take back control of the wheel and put the gear back in place. I didn’t find him acting dangerous and messing with our lives thrilling or enjoyable at all. I remember being the only person frightened as everyone laughed at me like it was some big joke. Later, I would hear these friends tell another close friend that I had overreacted to a small situation and “made everyone uncomfortable.” I found it incredible how little regard they had for our lives that me wanting us to be safe was considered such a thing. When people are less educated about the dangers of unsafe driving, they view these instances indifferently. Had they known better and the gravity of what reckless driving can do, such a thing wouldn’t have happened.
The last is a fatal car accident that happened to my older cousin over twenty years ago when I was a toddler. He was sixteen at the time and riding in the car with friends. He had noticed one of them was drunk driving and urged them to pull over so he could drive them home as the only sober person in the car. An argument ensued and with the keys in his hand he got in the car by himself, leaving his drunk friends to walk home. Though he was a responsible driver, in the moment he forgot an important detail which was to put on his seatbelt. Driving over a hill at a sharp turn, he lost control of the vehicle and fell off the hill and into someone’s backyard. That accident cost him his life and for years my family struggled to deal with his loss.Due to this, my family has made it known how important it is to be safe out on the road. As a family, we take driving safety seriously. I have family members who are mechanics and others well versed in driving safety and etiquette. Knowing this puts my mind at ease. Never feel unsafe as a passenger, and as a learner I never feel as if I am in the wrong hands. It is a privilege to have a family who are well educated on the topic of driving, many don’t.
As a person with driving anxiety, I have personally taken steps over the past two years to relieve that. Though it is rather late to start out, I am still in the process of finally getting my drivers license. I've studied both California drivers handbooks and taken online practice tests. When I am in a car as a passenger, I pay attention to what I have learned and apply it to riding in the car to remember when I get behind the wheel. When I do get behind the wheel to practice with a licensed driver, I make sure it is on little populated roads, empty parking lots, and neighborhood streets. My instructor-my mother-has always stressed to me as the driver to relieve my anxiety that I am in charge of the car, and the car is not in charge of me. I’ve built up my knowledge on safe driving and even practiced it. Though I am not yet quite ready to take the written and physical test I know that even these steps I’ve taken to become a responsible driver will help me in the end as I get on the road and help reduce the number of driving related deaths to make driving a safe action. I know that even one person educated on driving can make a change regarding the amount of people who lose their lives on the road. The more of us there are, the better.