My family is full of first responders. Growing up, I heard stories about deadly accidents from the firemen, EMTs, and state troopers in my family. The importance of safe driving and drivers education has always been a big deal to my family because of what many of them have seen on a daily basis for years. My Uncle was a state trooper, and he was on highway patrol a lot towards the end of his career. He retired at the beginning of March this year. He told me that because of the deaths, injuries, and types of accidents he had seen in the line of duty that he is terrified for his children when they take the highway. Only 31 out of 50 US states require their citizens to take a driver's education course in order to receive their license. A lack of driver's education makes the roads incredibly dangerous for all. Without clear knowledge of the rules of the road or practice with experienced instructors, drivers will be woefully unprepared for the challenges that they will face on the road.
In order to make the roads safer, more states should require driver's education. Those who already do should expand the ages required to take it. This is due to the fact that most states only require drivers education for teens under the age of 18; however, regardless of age, drivers' education plays an important role by decreasing the number of accidents and deaths among all drivers. A study was conducted in Ohio and published to the National Library of Medicine regarding this topic. In Ohio, teens that are 16 must take driver's education to receive their license. According to this study, fewer accidents, injuries, and fatalities occurred among educated drivers compared to uneducated drivers.1 To reduce the number of vehicular deaths, the age requirement in most states should be extended for drivers' education, and states who do not require it should mandate it.
Drivers' education is only one factor that can reduce the number of deaths related to driving. One of the most dangerous things you can do on the road is to use your cellphone. Taking a second to send a text could be fatal to yourself and others because your reaction time doubles when you are distracted. However, there are plenty of ways to stop distracted driving. By putting your phone on do not disturb, you will not be tempted to respond to any messages because you would not know if you received a text. However, if there is an emergency where you need to have your phone available, do not resort to texting and driving. Instead, use Bluetooth. Using Bluetooth devices will allow you to safely make phone calls and text messages while staying focused on the road. Regardless of the options available to them, many people continue to text and drive. Roughly 1 in 4 car accidents can be attributed to texting and driving. This means that about 390,000 injuries occur annually due to distracted drivers. To combat this, most states have made it illegal to use a cellular device behind the wheel, and those who are pulled over will receive a hefty ticket.
I am lucky enough to have never been in a car accident because I did take driver's education. I learned a lot about the rules of the road, and when I got my license, I felt readily prepared for any situation. However, no matter how safe you are, others can still cause great damage. Last year one of my closest friends had finally received her driver's license after completing her driver's education. On her way home from the DMV with her mother, a man who was texting and driving had run a red light and hit them in the intersection. Luckily, my friend and her mother had made it out with minimal injuries, but their car was completely totaled. She was a brand new driver, and she had taken all the right steps to be sure that she was safe on the road, but still, due to the irresponsibility of others, she was hurt. This situation could have been much worse, if not fatal. So, if you drive, you may be asking yourself what kinds of steps can you take to help others become safer drivers.
To start, if you have friends or family in your life who text and drive, express your concerns to them kindly. Talk about how texting and driving make you feel, share your experiences with them, and be patient. Change does not happen overnight, so it is important to be consistent with those you care about. Another way to advocate for driver safety on a larger scale is to turn to social media. Sharing important resources and statistics online will spread your message rather quickly. You can broadcast the importance of drivers education to a larger audience and make a bigger impact. If driver's education is not required or hard to access in your state, reach out to your Secretary of the State’s office to see what you can do.
If you have the opportunity to take driver's education, do it. You could save your own life and others by doing so. Safe, undistracted driving practices will pave the way for safer roads in your community and across America. Many members of my family have seen others tragically lose their loved ones because of uneducated and unsafe drivers. Do not be the one responsible for the loss of someones loved one and take driver's education. Drive safe!