Saving the Lives of Many

Driver education is a necessity before a driver can even touch the steering wheel. After reading the prompt, I thought it was a rhetorical question because driver education does wonders in reducing the number of deaths caused by driving. While driver education does reiterate many obvious regulations such as stopping at a stop sign, it also teaches many concepts that one would only know from the drivers’ perspective when on the road. For instance, a passenger may not know that it is traditional for a driver to keep their hands at the left and right most parts of the steering wheel. I could not imagine what it would be like for drivers to drive their vehicles without receiving an optimal driver education. Over the past decade, there has been a spike in the number of pedestrian deaths and finding a way to reduce this number will also greatly reduce the number of driving related deaths as a whole. One way the number of pedestrian deaths can be decreased is by strictly enforcing the jaywalking law. Many, many pedestrians are killed because they are not following their own rules that are in place for their safety. While it is almost impossible to enforce these regulations in metropolitan areas, they can at least greatly enforce it in suburban and rural areas. Hopefully, the enforcement of this regulation in these areas will instill fear of those in very urban cities and can help reduce the number of jaywalking incidents across the nation.
While I am fortunate enough to not have ridden in a car with an irresponsible driver, I have heard many stories that sound extremely frightening and may even seem like the passengers caught a break. If I were to put myself in those shoes, I would certainly warn the driver to either slow down and stick to the flow of traffic or get off their cell phones and pay attention to the traffic ahead. These are two common behaviors that many drivers have and it can be extremely petrifying when a driver is not paying attention to the road. As a passenger, I am always looking out for the driver and ensuring that he or she is carefully observing what is going on because in a split second anything can happen which can put everyone in the car at great risk. However, when I am driving with others, I always let them know to advise me on what I can do better. I want to be a safe and reliable driver, keeping everyone in the car calm and relaxed when I am at the wheel. Especially as a new driver, I am open to any criticism, especially from more experienced drivers like my parents because there will be many ideas or concepts that I do not know about because I have not come across that situation. When I am driving alone, I am just making sure my phone is out of my sight and that I am looking out for myself, checking all the mirrors and ensuring that I can safely switch lanes or just making sure that no other car is ludicrously driving. While driver education is the first step to helping reduce the number of deaths related to car accidents, I highly advise people to look out for each other when in a car because any sort of constructive criticism will go a long way.