Name: Madelyn Gray
From: Monee, ILLINOIS
Votes: 0

Everyday millions of Americans get in their cars to go places like work or school. That means that everyday there are millions of weapons on our roads, and most of the time, we do not even think of it like that. According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, about 3,287 deaths occur every day as a result of car accidents. That is more casualties than things thought to be more dangerous than cars, such as guns. Driving irresponsibly can turn your useful mode of transportation into a lethal weapon.

A huge part of keeping the roads safe starts when young teens are learning how to drive. Some states, such as my own, require you to take drivers ed courses, which I think are incredibly beneficial. This way, you are able to have an experienced driver and teacher help you learn basic rules of the road. When I took this course, I was incredibly grateful to be learning everything and getting a preview of what I would be faced with when I got behind the wheel for the first time. It gave me a sense of security to know that I already had an idea of what signs I would have to know how to read and rules I would have to follow that I never would have thought of on my own. I think taking these classes can greatly reduce the number of car accidents by making sure new drivers know basic rules of the road, preventing any uneducated choices.

There are many things that can be done to make driving safer, such as making sure new drivers are educated, properly supervised by someone else who is a safe driver, and more modern solutions are kept in mind when teaching new drivers. Now cars have all kinds of technological accessories and features that can be very overwhelming and distracting to new drivers and I believe that incorporating how to drive safely with these features should be taken into consideration when teaching peoples how to drive. All too often I have seen friends trying to mess with Bluetooth on their phones or seeming more focused on trying to find the right playlist than their driving. Things like this can, and often do lead to incredibly avoidable accidents.

Making our roads safer really does start with each of us, individually; we can all focus on driving as safely as possible by eliminating distractions such as cell phones or loud radio volumes. These are all common things that cause us to be distracted drivers, even if we think we are “so good at driving”. By recognizing that we are not invincible as people and that the things we do can lead to us not only hurting ourselves but others, we can make the roads we drive on that much safer.