Watching Cars Go By

By: Kayla Oldow You're waiting for a loved family member to get back from a small erreand watching cars go by. They were supposed to be back home 20 minutes ago and your mind wanders off to a chilling senario. That your loved one had ended up in a car accident. But, then they come home and that errant thought slips away as if it was never there. Sadly, 36,560 people in the U.S. never made it home in 2018. Driver’s education is important in lowering that number. Researchers at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln recently released the results of an exhaustive survey of that state’s teen drivers. “The results showed drivers who have not completed driver's education were 75% more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24% more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident” (Driver Education FAQ). However, more steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving by improving the existing drivers' ed program. Update the Curriculum! The drivers education program has gone unchanged for more than 50 years. Improving and updating thee overall course model is a start for gaining more traction among teen drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Make the class available online. Online classes are much more accessible to teens than they ever have been before. Meaning more knowledge can reach more people than ever before in a format that can be easily updated and understood. I’ve seen friends drive under the influence and while they made it home safely it’s just a numbers game until the day that they don’t. To be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road I want to promote driver education in my home town and personally take the pledge to: Protect lives by never driving while distracted, fatigued or under the influence. Encourage my friends and family to drive safely. Be a safety-minded passenger. Sources Driver Education FAQ. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2020, from https://www.safenebraska.org/safe-road/teen-driver-education/driver-education-faq Fatality Facts 2018: State by state. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state Top Five Ways Drivers Ed Helps Your Teen. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2020, from https://www.idrivesafely.com/driving-resources/new-driver/five-ways-drivers-education-helps-your-teen/