Whose Car Is It Anyway?

I back out of the driveway as my mom stands at the window watching me pull away. I’m a licensed driver now, the new license card tucked into my wallet. Seat belt on, check; phone in the back seat, check; all systems go, check. Driver education has been proven to be effective in reducing the incidence of accidents in teen drivers. If I wanted to drive, my parents said that I had to take a class. I sat through hours of ZOOM driver education classes and 8 hours of in-car driving lessons. The entire class required atypical adjustments, like wearing a mask to drive, all compliments of a pandemic world. I often wondered: is this an effective way to take driver education or did I miss out on something critical? There is no question that the pandemic created new learning styles and challenges. Driver education on ZOOM was at times monotonous, then overwhelming, but could be eye-opening and engaging. The instructors, to their credit, and utilizing the many facets of technology, found ways to keep the class engaged. They used everything from the platform Kahoot to create “quizzes” to test our knowledge, Q&A’s, and videos to keep us connected. Speaking from personal experience, driver education is important. Think about it, my  parents have been driving for years but it doesn’t mean that they remember the “rules of the road” as clearly as someone just learning. My parents have developed habits over more than 70 combined years of driving: some good, some not so good. It was my opportunity to share with them what I had learned and, in turn, remind them to be safe and alert drivers. 

Driver education class also highlighted the dangers of operating a vehicle, including loss of life related to distracted driving and accidents. The videos and information shared was both disturbing and powerful. You never think it can happen to you until it does. It only takes a moment of distraction or carelessness to be involved in an accident. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Is it my car or me that is making the decisions? Teen drivers have the least experience and in some cases the most distractions behind the wheel. 

According to the most recent data, traffic-related fatalities in Connecticut are up nearly 16 percent from a year ago. In the past month alone there have been 4 wrong way crashes in Connecticut on our local interstates. How can this possibly happen? Cars equal power: power in movement, power in speed, power in the hands of the driver. How do we advocate for safe roads and safe drivers? According to a recent February article in Psychology Today, distracted drivers kill eight people each day in the U.S., on average.

What can we do to reduce the number of deaths related to traffic accidents? There have been so many advances in the technology of our cars that they practically drive themselves; some do drive themselves. We can utilize technology to our advantage and have alerts in the vehicle that disable your cell phone, unless it’s an emergency. Warnings have already been implemented in newer vehicles to indicate distracted driving, to remind the driver to keep both hands on the wheel, etc.. We need to update all vehicles with this newer technology. Has anybody ever considered a car that cannot be put in drive unless the seat belt is engaged? That would be an easy adjustment to encourage seat belt use.  We could also require yearly training. If we have to renew our vehicle registrations each year why not add a little refresher for safe driving, too? Make renewal inclusive with an online quiz. There is a good chance that a quiz might refresh the memory of some people on the rules of the road, safe driving, and the dangers of distracted driving. All the above are easy ways to advocate education with little to no cost. We should also retest problematic drivers. Those individuals who have received a traffic violation or been involved in an accident should have to go through a series of tests if they are to get (safely) back on the road. 

Have I been involved in an accident? No. Have I been close? A few times. I am embarrassed to say that I have witnessed a family member getting distracted by their cell phone while driving. Luckily there was not an accident but it made me anxious enough to speak up. Hey, whose car is it anyway? Don’t become a statistic, become a trendsetter, right? Be an example for others in safe driving, save a life.