Driving education is one of the most important if not the most important parts of reducing deaths from a result of driving. Driver education is important because it teaches drivers the necessary skills to operate a vehicle. Not only does this keep the driver safe, but this also keeps everyone else safe from getting injured. However, I would argue that driver education has been inadequate in previous years, especially since the start of the pandemic. Having the choice of going to driving school in-person or online almost doesn’t seem real. However, because of the pandemic this option has now become a reality. Many teenagers picked the online version because it meant that they could just be lackadaisical and hurry up to get through the classes. The online classes are not the same as in-person learning but nonetheless it is still an option. I believe the benefits of making in-person driver education mandatory would clearly show in how accidents and deaths there are from driving being reduced.
I believe a major first step in decreasing the number of deaths related to driving would be modifying the drivers-ed for teenagers. I think as much knowledge as the driver’s instructor has, teenagers have a short attention span. This may make it hard for the information to truly register with the kids. Making driver’s ed more hands on would have a serious impact on combating short attention spans. One specific hand-on activity that I think all driving schools should implement is making the students wear drunk goggles. This gives the students somewhat of an idea of what being under the influence is like. Using these googles the driving instructors can emphasize the point of how much harder it would be to drive with these goggles on. Another step to reduce the number of deaths related to driving would be to enforce certain videos of the aftermath of car accidents for the students to watch. These videos should consist of accidents being caused by alcohol, texting, or reckless driving. I remember watching videos from my lessons that contained graphic scenes and images from these accidents. It permanently altered how I viewed driving. Driving a car, even with a seatbelt on, doesn’t guarantee your safety; something as simple as looking at your phone or driving too close to the car in front of you could easily put you in a life-threatening accident.
Ever since I could talk, I’ve always known my father had slight anger issues when it came to driving. It didn’t start to truly affect me until I had to start learning how to drive. My dad would always push me to drive 15 mph faster than the speed limit. He also demonstrated to me how to cut in front of cars if they didn’t seem to go at his preferred speed. These quickly started to become my habits on the road as well. However, this all changed on July 6th, 2022. My family and I were all sitting together in the living room when my brother came in from the basement, sobbing hysterically. I hadn’t seen my brother cry for years up until this very moment, so I knew that whatever he was crying over was horrible. My brother told us that he had just received a phone call from one of his friends with very unfortunate news. Their mutual friend, Cameron Kerkhoff, had sadly passed away in a tragic car accident. Now I had known Cameron for practically my whole life. He was my brother’s best friend, and we had all gone to grade school together. My mother instantly ran up to my brother and hugged him until he could catch his breath. What made this situation worse was that my brother was with him the day before he died. I didn’t know what to do so I just sat there in shock with my little sister. Up until that moment, that was the first death of someone I knew that I have had to experience. I just went into my room and helped my little sister stop being afraid. My mom was able to calm my brother down and helped put him to bed. From that moment on, it would be days until my brother could get out of bed. It was my sister’s and I’s duty to take care of my brother, as well as my father and mother. We would give him food, companionship, alone time, and anything else he needed. There were times when I would catch my mom crying because she was worried about his mental health. I was worried about it myself, but I decided to keep hoping that everything would work out in the end. Cameron’s funeral wasn’t too long after that, and it was one of the hardest things that I have had to witness to this day. I had never heard a grown man and woman wail like I heard his parents, grieving next to his casket. It sent goosebumps all over my skin and I couldn’t help but cry myself. My mother told me to brace myself because children's funerals are the worst, but I had no idea of how heart-wrenching it would be. After, my brother and his friends all decided to get together in remembrance of Cameron’s life, not his death. It’s been over a year now since Cameron Kerkhoff’s passing and my brother still goes to his grave many times to just remember and honor Cameron.
What I learned from this tragedy is to always keep your eyes on the road. A text message or a phone call is not worth the rest of your life. It also made not just me, but my dad realize that driving 15 mph over the speed limit was unnecessary. I also make sure that there is enough stopping distance between the car in front of me and myself. I am always very cautious while I am driving and will be for the rest of my life.