The Importance of Safe Driving

The Importance of Safe Driving

By Rebecca Wolff

When I began learning how to drive, the first thing my dad told me was this: driving is the most dangerous thing you will ever do. He told me I should never take getting somewhere safely for granted. Until I got my license and drove by myself for a while, I didn’t fully understand the implications of his words. Statistics show that young drivers are more likely to be involved in serious traffic accidents; this is because they are inexperienced and haven’t fully developed the skills necessary to be the safest driver possible. Driver education, whether it be in person or online, is a valuable asset to all drivers, but especially young ones that are prone to fatal accidents. It teaches us the basics of driving and brings up various scenarios we may find ourselves in on the road. Without this education, we would be clueless to the rules of the road and further endanger ourselves and others.

However, even with drivers ed being pretty widespread, there are still a lot of fatalities caused by driving. So what else can be done to reduce these deaths? There are two leading causes of fatal accidents: texting while driving and drunk driving. Below are two simple tips that help resolve these leading issues.

Tip #1: No text is that important.

1.6 million crashes are caused by texting while driving each year and 390,000 injuries occur in these crashes. 21% of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents admitted to being distracted by their phones while driving. These statistics are startlingly high for a mistake that is easy to avoid. Just put your phone down; no text is important enough for you to lose focus and endanger yourself and other drivers. A lot of newer cars enable you to connect your phone via bluetooth so that you can call and text handsfree. If your car doesn’t have this, put your phone on silent and throw it in the backseat.

Tip #2: Have a designated driver.

28% of all fatal accidents in the United States are caused by drunk driving; 10,500 people died in 2016 because of it. Those under the influence of alcohol are prone to swerve erratically between lanes and have difficulty judging distances and reacting quickly. Aside from the obvious dangerous situations it creates on the road, drunk driving is illegal in all 50 states. In my home state of Florida, it is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor and people who do it can be charged up to $1,000 fine and serve up to 1 year in jail for a first offense. It is very important to drive sober or have a designated driver to bring you home. If you don’t have one, call someone to pick you up. The people who love you would much rather be woken up late at night than lose you in a car accident.

Driving is a huge responsibility; it is important to be focused and cautious at all times when you’re behind the wheel. Driving really is the most dangerous thing I (or you) will ever do, so be safe out there!

Sources

“Drinking and Driving: A Serious and Deadly Crime.” Alcohol Rehab Guide, https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/crimes/dui/.

“Impaired Driving: Get the Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 Mar. 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html.

Mayhew, D R, and H M Simpson. “The Safety Value of Drivers ed and Training.” Injury Prevention, BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 1 Sept. 2002, https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/8/suppl_2/ii3.

Nolo. “Florida Drunk Driving Laws, Penalties, and Consequences.” Dui.drivinglaws.org, Nolo, 15 May 2019, https://dui.drivinglaws.org/florida.php.

“Texting and Driving Accident Statistics - Distracted Driving.” Edgarsnyder.com, https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html.