What
Needs to Change to Reduce Vehicular Related Death
Marygrace

According the National Safety Council, 38,800 people died in car
crashes in 2019. That is more than the amount of people who attend
Yale and Harvard combined, but it does not and should not have to be
this way. Safe driving is not simply polite, but could save thousands
of lives. Drivers ed not only covers local traffic laws,
but also teaches drivers how to safely maneuver their vehicle, and
avoid accidents. Let’s say that your car goes underwater. What do
you do? Well if you didn’t take a drivers ed course you
might not know to undo your seatbelt first, or if you are unable to
get out through the window, you might not know to let the water get
up to your chin before you open the door. I sure didn’t. These
lessons are designed to keep us safe, but if we ignore them we
endanger the lives of others and ourselves.

There
are several things we can do to reduce the number of vehicular deaths
including following the speed limits, shoulder checks when changing
lanes, driving slower when it rains and snows, and making sure we are
completely sober before operating a vehicle. These things may seem to
obvious, but as Americans we are always on the go. We all have places
to be, and things to do, so when we are hurrying to our next
destination, or when we have had our fourth drink and think we’re
fine, we tend to forget the potential cost. We often think, “I
speed all the time, and I’ve never gotten into an accident,” or
“I’m not going very fast, so I can send this quick text,” but
it takes one crash, one accident to kill. That’s a life that we can
never get back. Those are parents who will never see their child
again, students who will never see that peer again.

Luckily,
all is not lost. We can reduce the number of deaths by being patient,
and cognizant of others around us. By taking drivers ed
courses Americans can familiarize themselves with safe tactics, but
by taking a deep breath and remembering that driving is a privilege
that could have fatal consequences we can change the way we think
behind the wheel. Suddenly that text can wait, work can wait, or
wherever we have to be can wait because it not worth someone’s
life. There is a bigger issue here than simply knowing how to be a
good driver. We forget that in the business and stress of our daily
lives we are all equal people. There is an entitlement issue on the
road, and we think that where we have to be or what we have to do is
more important than anyone else on the road, but it is absolutely
not. Drivers ed statistically decreases the likelihood of
getting into a fatal car crash, but it should be used as a tool to
remind us of what we could lose if we don’t take safety seriously.