The Impact of Safe Driving

Hope Demers

Family. A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household. This word embodies the true reason safe driving plays such an impactful role in my world and in most others. But does safe driving occur before the consequences of losing family and friends ? Or taking the lives of others, or their family and friends? Statistics prove day by day again how overlooked these fatalities due to unsafe driving really are. How our communities do not recognize the importance of safe driving until they experience it personally.The sad truth is most sympathize but do not truly make a conscious effort to understand that in order to make a difference we all must change our driving behaviors. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention compared fatality rates from road crashes with five leading causes of death and found road crashes rates rising up to these common health-related causes of deaths. Nearly 1.25 million people die in road crashes each year meaning on average, 3,287 deaths a day and 20-50 million are injured or disabled from these accidents. There is a one in twenty chance an accident you have been in in your lifetime will result in serious injury. These statistics are only numbers but to others are the loss of a sister, a parent, or a friend. With that said the impact of unsafe driving in our society should affect more than it has and statistics must change. By implementing better driver education and by taking the steps to become better drivers individually our roads will be safer and reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving.

The importance of drivers ed in every community is exceptionally important in ensuring our roads are much safer and less deaths occur do to unsafe driving behaviors. My experience in drivers ed as a young teen was almost overlooked in some aspects. For example, my classes were long and tiring allowing students, like myself, to be less and less attentive as the hours went by. Later that year when it came to my drivers test, the test was short and skipped vital road safety skills that all new and old drivers should apply to the roads everyday. Aspects to the test like school safety zones and full-stops at the stop signs were overlooked. Out of 555 teens, 44% can not even pass the permit test. More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among young adults 15-44. The problem not only lies with the education of new drivers but old as well. According to CNN, one in six drivers would fail their drivers test if they had to take it today. More than 50 percent of people fail their drivers test the first time (Driving Peace Organization). We must change the driving education system to change these statistics and obtain safe driving standards in our communities. To start bettering drivers already on the road, drivers must individually strive to do better.

By taking the following steps drivers in our communities can improve and ensure the roads are safer and safer day by day. Each step will reduce deaths in relation to driving. Step one to becoming a safer driver is to remove unsafe driving behaviors and habits from your driving routine. For example texting and driving. According to the National Safety Council 1.6 million crashes a year are caused by just one unsafe driving behavior: texting and driving. Not only the texting behavior but another habit that results in accidents time and time again is speeding. 26 percent of all traffic fatalities a year are caused by speeding. Speeding is commonly forgotten about until accidents occur or until caught by a police man… to ensure you are a safer driver on the road check the speedometer every few minutes and remember the consequences speeding truly has. Speeding means you are simply losing track of the rules of the road which is another main behavior drivers must work on. After changing your road behaviors and habits, you can only become a better driver by driving responsibly. This means focusing on driving and driving when fully aware and when it is appropriate to drive. For example driving under the influence. Yet another leading cause of death from poor driving behaviors is driving under the influence. Everyday we learn about another family affected by a serious accident involving drivers who were under the influence. 10,497 people died in influence- impared driving crashes in 2016… accounting for 28% of traffic-related deaths in the US. Not only knowing when to drive under these influence-imparied circumstances but in daily life circumstances as well. If you are falling asleep at the wheel, pull to a nearby stop and only drive when fully awake and responsible. Lastly, take the step to share this information with other drivers, friends, and family in your community… spread the word to ensure we are taking action to drive safely to reduce these deaths.

Reviewing these statistics has reinforced my focus to be a safe teen driver and to educate myself on road safety as I gain more experience driving. I have experienced family and friends driving irresponsibly and have been working to share alternative driving lifestyles with the people close to me and my community everyday. I know that sharing my experiences and tips with others will affect people around me in time. I personally have implemented these driving behaviors as well to become a more safe teen driver and set the example for people my age and younger. As personal experience has only so much impact these statistics have transformed my view on safe driving and I hope for my work to reach many and other students in my community as well.

If you would also like to spread awareness and knowledge on safe driving share my essay with family and friends in your community! Thank you and remember to drive safely!