Someone in the world dies in a car accident every 16 minutes. That's not even coming close to describing how dangerous and how frequent a car crash is in society. It is incredibly important for a driver to have an education in driving. This would reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving drastically. In fact, 2.1 percent of the group that does have driver's education was involved in a collision that caused injury or death, compared to 2.6 percent of those who did not take driver's education at all.
Only 32% of Americans have never been in a car accident, which means that more than two-thirds of drivers have filed an accident report at least once. This shocking statistic is clear proof that most people have been in an accident if they have driven a vehicle. While we may all think we are skilled drivers and everyone else is the problem, it is important to remember that we have to always be realistic and honest with ourselves. Nearly 39.7% of the Baby Boomer generation perceive themselves to be excellent drivers, yet 64% of the Baby Boomer generation have gotten into an accident. It seems that the Baby Boomer generation doesn't realize how frequent an accident on the road could be and how dangerous driving is in general. How you can have the mindset that you are an expert at driving but the truth of an unexpected collision is always a possibility. Additionally, I wondered how both genders would respond to a survey question about their accident rates. Interestingly enough, both reported a close 50/50 split; over 54% of women had been the driver involved in an accident, and about 52% of men stated they had. This is saying that It doesn't matter what gender you are when you're driving because at the end of the day both genders are on the road, and have an equal shot of not getting in an accident. While gender is not a factor in driving, it is clear how we think we drive can be very different from how we actually drive and how we drive and how defensive a driver you are seems to be a big factor.
My best friend drove by himself to a friendly gathering where he found himself drinking alcohol and drove back home under the influence, endangering himself and others. He was stopped by the police and got a DUI. After he was grounded, I didn't see my best friend for a while. It gave me and everybody around him a wake up call that driving is not a given and poor choices have consequences. Driving is a privilege to be taken seriously. My best friend was driving irresponsibly and got punished for it. He had fines of about $2000, three years of probation, and he had to complete a first offender alcohol program that consists of a 30-hour class, at a cost of $500. He didn't have a car anymore, he didn't have a phone, he didn't have his parents' trust. He was left with nothing but a difficult lesson, that would scar his record for ten years, but rest in the back of his head forever.
Steps that would make a better and safer driver everyone can take including myself is always being a defensive driver. When I first watched my parents drive, they would always tell me “Assume everybody is drunk or distracted on the road.” This way you're always paying attention and always being a defensive driver. To describe this more in depth, you want to pay attention to the vehicles around you and the environment surrounding your vehicle. What this looks like is not being distracted by any other passengers, or anything else that might disturb your focus when you are driving a vehicle. Driving a vehicle recklessly can lead to your vehicle getting damaged or even the people inside getting hurt or injured and you being at fault for nothing else. This is a reality that every new driver and existing driver has to accept when they enter the vehicle.
For the better part of 100 years, driving has been an expression of freedom. This freedom comes with responsibility. We must not take for granted that we can own a vehicle and drive it. No matter age, experience, or gender, we must all follow the rules of the road and be safe defensive drivers. Failure to learn how to properly drive and get educated on it could one day lead to you getting into a horrible accident and losing your privilege.
Only 32% of Americans have never been in a car accident, which means that more than two-thirds of drivers have filed an accident report at least once. This shocking statistic is clear proof that most people have been in an accident if they have driven a vehicle. While we may all think we are skilled drivers and everyone else is the problem, it is important to remember that we have to always be realistic and honest with ourselves. Nearly 39.7% of the Baby Boomer generation perceive themselves to be excellent drivers, yet 64% of the Baby Boomer generation have gotten into an accident. It seems that the Baby Boomer generation doesn't realize how frequent an accident on the road could be and how dangerous driving is in general. How you can have the mindset that you are an expert at driving but the truth of an unexpected collision is always a possibility. Additionally, I wondered how both genders would respond to a survey question about their accident rates. Interestingly enough, both reported a close 50/50 split; over 54% of women had been the driver involved in an accident, and about 52% of men stated they had. This is saying that It doesn't matter what gender you are when you're driving because at the end of the day both genders are on the road, and have an equal shot of not getting in an accident. While gender is not a factor in driving, it is clear how we think we drive can be very different from how we actually drive and how we drive and how defensive a driver you are seems to be a big factor.
My best friend drove by himself to a friendly gathering where he found himself drinking alcohol and drove back home under the influence, endangering himself and others. He was stopped by the police and got a DUI. After he was grounded, I didn't see my best friend for a while. It gave me and everybody around him a wake up call that driving is not a given and poor choices have consequences. Driving is a privilege to be taken seriously. My best friend was driving irresponsibly and got punished for it. He had fines of about $2000, three years of probation, and he had to complete a first offender alcohol program that consists of a 30-hour class, at a cost of $500. He didn't have a car anymore, he didn't have a phone, he didn't have his parents' trust. He was left with nothing but a difficult lesson, that would scar his record for ten years, but rest in the back of his head forever.
Steps that would make a better and safer driver everyone can take including myself is always being a defensive driver. When I first watched my parents drive, they would always tell me “Assume everybody is drunk or distracted on the road.” This way you're always paying attention and always being a defensive driver. To describe this more in depth, you want to pay attention to the vehicles around you and the environment surrounding your vehicle. What this looks like is not being distracted by any other passengers, or anything else that might disturb your focus when you are driving a vehicle. Driving a vehicle recklessly can lead to your vehicle getting damaged or even the people inside getting hurt or injured and you being at fault for nothing else. This is a reality that every new driver and existing driver has to accept when they enter the vehicle.
For the better part of 100 years, driving has been an expression of freedom. This freedom comes with responsibility. We must not take for granted that we can own a vehicle and drive it. No matter age, experience, or gender, we must all follow the rules of the road and be safe defensive drivers. Failure to learn how to properly drive and get educated on it could one day lead to you getting into a horrible accident and losing your privilege.
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