My first fifteen seconds behind the wheel resulted in a totaled sedan and a disastrous home video. The sound of crumpling metal discouraged me from driving for over a year, and when I finally decided it was time to learn again, my family was t-boned by a teenager texting while driving. When to police arrived, I saw her laughing on her phone to some friends. An hour later, our car was hit again twice on our drive back home. Additionally, my uncle has been hit by a car three times, rendering him partially paralyzed from the waist down. My fear of the road was solidified after a teacher was killed by a semi, just five minutes away from his house.
I had a wonderful drivers ed teacher named Trooper Ron, who loudly warned his class against “smoking a bowl” before driving and the perils of road rage. The most valuable resource of the class was a driving instructor named Dwayne that kept me calm while on the freeway, while changing lanes, and even after a bicyclist threw a water bottle at me. Repetition and practice helped me feel more confident behind the wheel.
As I drove around more, I began to notice how often that either myself or my friends and family had to dodge aggressive cars or worse, those that took advantage of our flat highway and used it to drag race. This problem is so universal that it actually was a question of focus in a risk preference unit of my economics class. What risk is large enough to discourage this type of driving?
Obviously regard for other cars was out of the question. The drivers had to somehow internalize the risk. This “risk” often comes in the form of tickets. Does the city increase the number of police cars per shift? Or do they increase the fine for speeding? My professor explained that while both effectively increase the potential consequences for speeding, raising the number of patrol cars also costs the police department resources and money. A higher ticket fine, however, increases the consequences without an additional cost to the police.
While this method theoretically would reduce accidents, there are steps every driver can take individually to create safer roads. I believe that cell phones are the biggest issue. Resisting the urge to text or call while driving limits distractions. I’ve started placing my phone in the passenger’s seat or cup holder because if I feel a notification in my pocket, I’ll want to check. My friends and I also make sure one of us volunteers as a designated driver whenever we go out, or we figure out rideshare plans ahead of time.
Driving can be daunting, but with the proper education, confidence, and self-discipline, we can create safer roads not only for ourselves, but for others.