Driver education is incredibly important because they teach students about all the road laws and signs. Not only that but they also teach common road etiquette, which a lot of young drivers don’t have at first. The basics of driving a vehicle such as park, break, accelerate may seem simple but being on a road and not getting those hours in with an instructor can hinder a student from getting the experience they need before driving on their own. When I was in highschool I was one of the few who was forced to go into an in person driver education course. It made me upset at the time because most people were doing the online drivers course and could speed through it to get their permit quicker. Now that I look back I think I am a bit more grateful. I had to drive with different instructors and in different cars and they all had great words of advice.
My dad, who drove all around the united states as a part of his job also shared lots of wisdom with me when it came to the road. He said that it's important to follow the speed limit obviously but it's also important to stick with the flow of the rest of the drivers on the highway. Obviously there are the people who speed in the left lane but following the speed of the rest of the people without disrupting the rhythm is safer. For example, if people are going 70 miles an hour on the highway and you're driving up on the entrance ramp and merging going 40 miles an hour that immediately disrupts traffic. You cause people to break hard or swerve lanes so they don't have to break for you. Just be aware if you’re disrupting the flow or merging on correctly.
An example of driver etiquette for me is just constantly being aware of your surroundings even though it can be hard when there’s other people in the car. The biggest way to avoid accidents is by being proactive. If you’re suspicious of a car that may cut you off or make an illegal turn take actions to avoid being near them. There have been times that I have been suspicious of people prior to any risky situations and avoided being t-boned at stop signs or crushed between two cars because one of them turned in a no turning lane. This is something that isn’t necessarily taught but requires more common sense. I just emphasize it because the longer people drive for, the more comfortable they get on the road and aren't as aware anymore. Forgetting they are driving tons of metal going 80 miles an hour on the highway.
Another step I believe that can be taken to reduce deaths related to driving besides the common ones such as texting, drinking or being under any influence, is not letting road rage affect you. I have seen so many people be reckless on the road because they get so angry and think it’s okay to swerve and speed and act petty. This is not acceptable, especially in a 3,000 Ib metal vehicle. For me personally, I believe this is something I should work on as well and firstly be aware of when I feel myself getting mad at a slow driver and refrain from passing them irresponsibly.
Distracted driving is the bulk of it when it comes to the reasoning behind most car accidents. Whether it be by texting and driving or being too busy talking to passengers in the car, peoples attention are no longer fully on the road. Not only can they cause an accident by being distracted, but they can no longer prevent themselves from being involved in the accident because they’re discrated. For example, if a person becomes unconscious while driving and swerves lanes. The person in the next lane who is scrolling through instagram on their phone is not aware and has no time to react. Suddenly they’re being run off the road because they're hit from the side. Versus a person who is focused on the road, they might have noticed the car in the lane over start swerving or getting wobbly and had time to either speed up or break.
These are some of the steps I believe could be taken to reduce the number of deaths linked to driving. I know we are all aware of the common issues such as texting or drinking while driving, but there are too many accidents for those two problems to make up most of it. Hence the reason I felt it was important to bring up the small issues that people may not notice could affect their safety and the safety of others on the road.