The importance of drivers education

The importance of driver education is critical in the effort to reduce the number of deaths each year. According to a study, drivers who have not participated and completed a drivers education class are 75% more likely to get a traffic ticket, as well as 24% more likely to be involved in a fatal or serious injury accident. That same study also cited that they were 16% more likely to be involved in an an accident in general. Drivers in a box talk about the importance of drivers education citing the teachings of defensive driving, good judgement, as well as common sense. This is also highly important to teach drivers how to effectively navigate different weather situations. Lack of preparedness when it comes to potentially unsafe road conditions can be fatal.

Steps that can be taken in order to reduce the number of deaths are numerous. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation there was a 7.2% increase in fatal car accidents in 2020. Numerous sources cited speeding as the number one cause of fatal car accidents in the U.S. The second was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The third reason for fatal accidents is veering into another lane, and this was caused by a few different reasons; distracted driving, drowsy or impaired driving, and medical conditions. Harsher punishments for serious traffic violations such as driving under the influence, and speeding. One thing that makes a big difference for myself as well as my friends is the number of fatalities being broadcasted on the highways. It is a constant reminder to stay aware. Some of the challenges come down to cost, the cost of employing more police officers to patrol the roads, the cost of more drones to patrol for speeding, as well as Eticketing. Getting all the state laws up to date with the growing number of driving under the influence of substances is imperative.

I have a few experiences with dangerous car accidents. It was very snowy and my brother was driving with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. Admittedly he was driving too fast and hit a slippery spot, he spun out and ended up getting T-boned from oncoming traffic. Despite the car being a 2006, it didn’t have airbags, his face smashed into the steering wheel crushing it as well as his face. He lacerated his spleen and was bleeding internally. He needed 36 staples in his head as well as a metal plate, he crushed most of the bones in his face on the left hand side and is now blind in one eye. This happened on a 40 mph road a few miles away from our house. The road conditions plus the speed almost killed him. I take driving very seriously due to this experience. Most recently, my husband and I were driving in the canyon during a bad snow storm, it was basically a white out due to the wind blowing the snow up. A truck coming from the opposite direction seemingly lost control and was driving at us in our lane. I swerved to avoid a head on collision and ended up stuck in a snowbank. We tried as hard as we could to get out on our own. There were two semi trucks stuck near us, one of which had a shovel. We attempted to dig ourselves out for the better course of four hours. We were unsuccessful. We barely had any cell phone reception and it was very very scary. Ultimately, we should not have been on the road at that time. We did check road conditions before we went, however, a winter storm warning had been issued and the weather advisory was clear about the dangers of driving during the specified times. We took the risk anyway and learned a very scary and also very expensive lesson. Don’t risk it, nothing is worth risking your life. We saw that Road conditions can change in a matter of minutes, so it is imperative to check the weather ahead of time and to LISTEN to the storm warnings and also your gut. We knew we should have pulled over but pride kept us going.

One major thing I can do each time I step into the car is make a conscious decision to keep my phone/distractions away while I drive. There is always the temptation, ever quickening pace of life, many notifications coming in every few minutes. Correspondence that may seem important in the moment can and should always wait. The other major thing I can do is to say something, to speak up when I see friends driving that seems to be under the influence of substances. I myself do not drink however, my friends do and I absolutely need to be more vocal about my distain for them taking their lives and everyone else’s lives on the road in their hands. This has been a very eye opening exercise as well as a good reminder of how dangerous driving can be if not taken seriously.