One of the scariest moments of my life was my involvement in a car accident, where someone accelerated into the back of my car at a red light. While there were no injuries to the other driver or myself, the experience created lots of emotions for me. I can only imagine the impact of an accident on a larger scale than a fender bender. With around 34,000 people dying a year in the United States, educating new drivers in driver’s education about safety precautions on the road becomes a critical step in reducing the large number of deaths. Driver’s education informs new drivers of the rules of the road and other essential driving components. Everyone receiving the same education guarantees people are on the same page when out driving, leading to fewer accidents. Driver’s education emphasizes the severity of breaking the rules. People become fearful of facing the consequences of being charged with crimes such as driving under the influence (DUI), leading to people making better choices when choosing to drive.
With the number of car accident deaths, it is critical to find a solution to this problem. As mentioned, the first step is to educate new drivers on the rules, regulations, and dangers of driving. Since every state does not require driver’s education before obtaining a license, this is a valuable step in reducing the number of deaths caused by car accidents. Another way to reduce this number is by placing safety precautions on cars. Similar to the technology placed in a person’s car when they obtain a DUI, putting a breathalyzer in every car would be a precautionary measure to make sure people are not driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This technology would not allow the vehicle to start if the breathalyzer detected a substance in the driver’s system. An advancement that would help prevent reckless driving is that cars are equipped with technology to ensure they cannot exceed the speed limit. Reckless driving is usually associated with speeding, so limiting this ability would help prevent people from putting themselves and others into dangerous situations on the road. Living near St. Louis, I have first-hand experience watching cars speed and swerve on the major highways, leading to major accidents that can be fatal. This technology would prevent drivers from being able to do this, creating fewer accidents and deaths throughout the country.
Experiencing my family, friends, and myself being a part of car accidents, the issue of fatal car accidents is close to my heart. After graduating high school, the chaos of the high school parking lot after school is fresh on my mind. Many irresponsible teenagers fight for a spot out of the lot without much consideration for the cars around them. Seeing an accident in the parking lot was not a rare sight. Several times, people speeding through the school zone caused students to get hit while walking through the crosswalk. Luckily, none of these accidents were fatal, but they very well could have been. Accidents like these are why implementing technology to prevent speeding is so critical. Accidents involving speeding are more likely to end in death or severe injury. Another way to improve safety on the roads is to implement more frequent driving tests. Checking to ensure everyone’s driving skills are up-to-date keeps unsafe drivers off the road. These tests would also refresh current drivers' knowledge about the rules on the road. Consistent reminders about the safety precautions of driving will help reduce the number of accidents and deaths caused by carelessness and keep the rules fresh in driver’s heads.
As a driver on the road, I need to take safety precautions and continue my education to improve my driving skills and knowledge. Holding myself accountable for safe driving by not speeding and making intelligent decisions, such as not drunk driving, is critical for my safety and that of others. To help others become safer out on the road, I can share the dangers and statistics about driving under the influence and speeding on social media. Social media is one of the most effective ways to reach teenagers and young adults. This age group is also more susceptible to making poor decisions out on the road. Consistently reminding people how significant dangerous driving is and how many lives safe driving saves will make others more conscious of their choices when getting behind the wheel. The only way to reduce the number of deaths from car accidents is to prevent them from ever happening by continuous education, advocating for safe driving, and advances in technology to present dangerous driving. We all have a role in protecting the roads; choosing to drive safely is choosing to save lives.