The Risk

Everyday we take a risk. Right when the key unlocks our car it also unlocks the potential to harmful damage through the terrors of reckless driving. In 2005, negligent driving led to the deaths of more than 40,000 individuals, nearly equivalent to the amount of lives lost in the Korean and American Civil War (41, 686 deaths (source a)). We are continuing to create our own war within our country, producing more fatalities than physical warfare. 

 When a young driver receives their license they’re ecstatic to joyride on the open road... but they don’t always realize that cars can be a dangerous mechanism if not used wisely. Those who take drivers education are more aware of the impact of their actions in the vehicle; studies show that young drivers who did not complete a course are 75 percent more likely to receive a traffic violation and 24 percent more likely to be involved in an accident or fatal injury (source b). The greatest cause of these accidents is due to drunk driving, with a staggering portion of 32% of fatalities being related to alcohol (source c). This percentage could be greatly reduced through drivers ed encouraging students to become more responsible.

 Those who decide to drink must realize the toll alcohol takes on their body. It severely impairs one's sense of judgment and coordination, to the point where it is challenging for some to even walk; if alcohol creates difficulty in simply walking on two feet how could someone expect to control an entire vehicle if they can’t even control their own bodies. Many services offer rides to those who are impaired, so it’s a wise decision to utilize these services, or even just asking a sober friend for one. It is crucial that drivers remain faithful to never get behind the wheel drunk, it is not worth the precious life of you or others around you. Even if someone does survive the dangers of drunk driving a DUI can ruin the rest of your life. If drivers are constantly reminded of the perils of drunk driving then this would significantly lower the percentage of traffic fatalities. 

Unfortunately, I’ve had my own terrifying experience with driving when I got in an accident. My friends all shouted and pointed outside the car to someone that they knew, and the split second I looked away the car in front of me slammed on their brakes; after that I learned the importance of always keeping your eyes on the road and even the slightest distraction can lead to a possible fatality. I never want to experience anything like that again or anyone else to, so I always practice and encourage safe driving techniques. The most important steps I follow to maintain my safe driving is: not checking my phone, using voice commands, maintaining a safe distance and speed, and never driving under the influence. Follow these steps of safe driving and we can cease this war of traffic fatalities.

Citations:

Source A: “Scholarship.” DmvEdu.org, www.dmvedu.org/scholarship/.

Source B: University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Study: Drivers Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets.” Study: Drivers Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln, newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver's+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets.

Source C: “Car Accident Statistics.” Aceable, www.aceable.com/safe-driving/car-accident-statistics/.

“Car Accident Statistics.” Aceable, www.aceable.com/safe-driving/car-accident-statistics/.