“Being behind the wheel of a vehicle is a privilege and should be treated as such.” My father told me this the first time I sat behind the wheel of a 1999 Chevy Caviler in the local soccer field parking lot. It was a five-speed, and I had no idea what I was doing. I remember the patience in his voice when he was telling me how to use the clutch and how that made the rest of the car “go”. It wasn’t long until the patience changed to frustration, and eventually tears from a 15-year-old girl. I ended up learning from a friend how to drive a manual car, and got my first car at 16, a 2003 Chrysler Sebring (it was not a manual ironically enough) and I hear my father’s voice from time to time, telling me how much of a privilege it is to have a car, to drive a car, to share the road with other drivers.
The importance of driver education is imperative to reducing the number of deaths because without further education of what we may already know, we would be stuck in a constant cycle of trying to learn from our mistakes. From experience I can confidently say that failure is the best teacher in almost every aspect of life, but not when other’s safety is a concern. And every time you drive a car, someone else’s safety is a concern. It shouldn’t matter if you’re driving across the country or to the grocery store two miles down the road, knowing right from wrong when you’re driving could be the costly difference in making it home safely, or someone else making it back home safely. With appropriate driver education there is a better probability of making the right unconscious decision when you’re faced with a split-second decision on the road. Growing up in Wisconsin for the better part of my life, you always learn to pump your breaks if you’re sliding and not to over correct. After moving to Washington state, where snow and ice isn’t as much of a worry, I have had personal experiences where there is not an understanding of “pumping your breaks”. Causing minor fender benders that I believe could have been avoided because I’ve been in a similar situation when I was driving, and I was able to correct appropriately due to my unconscious understanding of winter driving. I believe the only real steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is self-awareness. Knowing what you’re good at, what you struggle with, and what you need more work on than maybe you’d like to admit is what’s going to save lives. I always admire those who admit when they can either no longer drive, whether it’s due to age, physical capabilities, or mental state. I also believe that further education, after you receive your driver's license should be implemented. The rules of the road aren’t known for “changing” but the world we live in does. More bicyclists, more walkers/runners, more motorized vehicles to share the road with and more distractions. I think having to re-take a drivers test every 10 years or so would be extremely beneficial, at least a written test to ensure that people are still understanding of what signage means and posed with written scenarios where decisions need to be made.
I am very fortunate in only being in one bad car accident during my life and the driver was not acting responsibility – thankfully – they were very reactive and saw the whole thing happen before it happened. I have been in many situations where drivers are acting erratically and irresponsibly. It is most uncomfortable when you request to get out of the vehicle and they decline, it almost feels like they’re wanting to cause you harm, even if they think they’re just having fun. One thing I believe we overlook all too often is drinking and driving, we all subconsciously know it’s bad, but how many people do you know that will truly give up their keys, and their right to drive, once they’ve been drinking? It’s disappointing that we often must threaten our friends or family members with consequences if they drink and drive, they hardly ever give up that privilege willingly. Living in a town where football was the communities main outlet, heavy drinking is socially acceptable, which is typically followed by drinking and driving. It was a social concept I had been around my entire life and was something I viewed as “normal” even though you’re taught at a very young age to never drink and drive, the lack of accountability of institutions that serve alcohol and those who consume, is mind-numbing.
The steps I can take to be a better and a safer driver is to understand that I am not a perfect driver, there is always room for improvement. I understand I am easily distracted, so I put those distractions away when I am driving, out of reach and out of my mind. Understanding that the most important thing when I’m driving, is driving itself. Not the music I’m listening to, or the book I’m interested in, it’s the road around me, the other drivers, the pedestrians, the construction, anything that may be unannounced when I am behind the wheel of my car. I try to mentally put myself in a space where I imagine it is more than myself in the car, whether my imaginary passengers include my cat, my boyfriend, my sisters, my parents, sometimes that makes me feel more responsible for my driving actions. Keeping those around me responsible for their actions as well, even outside of driver seat is something I pride myself on. Surrounding yourself with people you are proud to be associated with is a key factor of your own characteristics and how you want others to perceive you.