Driving is something that a majority of people in America do on a regular basis, unfortunately the number of accidents and driving related deaths has only increased with time. 1.3 million people die in car accidents every year worldwide and in the United States there has been a 7% increase in driving related deaths. This is why driver’s education needs to be taken more seriously. It is a fact that better education leads to improvements in quality; this is why it is crucial that people are not only taught the technical aspects of driving and the actual laws of the road, but the dangers of distracted driving and effective defensive driving strategies. It is easy to ignore the dangers of driving because it's something that so many do regularly without consequences, but we are talking about people’s lives which makes this topic immeasurably important.
As far as actual strategies go, I think the first step is to make driver’s education mandatory to get a license. This will ensure that at the very least everyone is given the correct information. Another major change I would make is to make the driving test to get a license more difficult. As I write this essay the requirement to get a license in my state of Missouri is 70%. That on most academic grading scales is by definition average, it literally means that 70% of the time people drive the right way, so thirty percent of the time they don’t. That in my opinion is way too high a margin of error when you are dealing with people's lives. You wouldn’t settle for an average surgeon to do a life saving surgery so why settle for average drivers. The quality of anything will only rise to the standard you set for it, and right now the standard for our driving is far too low.
Renewing a license should also involve a driving test. Oftentimes drivers develop bad habits after they pass their test because they get comfortable, but if they had to re-do the driving test on a regular basis they would be far more conscious of proper driving techniques. Overall the process of getting and maintaining a license needs to be more difficult, that way only more skilled drivers will actually be on the road.
I have personally been in a car accident, I've seen my family get into accidents, and I’ve witnessed friends drive very irresponsible. I also am ashamed to say that I myself have driven quite irresponsibly and I even have a speeding ticket on my record. I am not proud of this but I am glad I had that experience because of what it taught me. When I got my speeding ticket I had multiple friends in my car, it was one of those situations where I had been on the road for a long time and gone on autopilot. When I got pulled over and the officer told me how fast I was going I was shocked. I had fallen into the trap of getting too comfortable while driving, and I made irresponsible decisions. When I had some to reflect and realized that I could have potentially hurt my friends, who had effectively trusted with their lives, I took my driving after a lot more seriously, and have not sped to that degree since. This is why this topic is important to me. I was fortunate enough to learn from my mistake, but so many people don’t because as I said they take driving without an accident for granted. People, including myself, get complacent, and complacency will always have negative consequences.
Being a responsible driver is extremely important to me and I want others to value it as much as I do. In order to do that though I have to start with myself by cutting out distractions, driving defensively, maintaining my car for optimal safety, and leading by example. If you want to make a change you have to start with yourself. I think on an individual basis adopting this mindset would be the best thing people can do. Be the best driver they can be themselves, promote safe driving habits like wearing seatbelts, putting your phone away, and encouraging their friends to do the same. This way when it comes time to teach the next generation to drive; you can set the best example and people can grow up in a culture of proper driving habits instead of having to learn things the hard way and risking lives.
Driving deaths are a problem, and it's rooted in the lack of education, the lack of standards, and the lack of consequences that come with driving irresponsibly. However, this problem can and I believe will be solved, and it starts with you and me.