Change the Driver, Not the Vehicle

An extensive percentage of the United States have experienced reckless and careless drivers. I myself have witnessed and continue to witness it with my friends, as well as family. Even so, I cannot judge anyone since I am guilty of texting and driving myself. Of course I can always turn on the driving mode feature on my iPhone or control myself from touching the phone while driving, but the distraction is always available within reach. As technology continues to advance, new features such as hands free have become widely available to limit distractions while operating a vehicle. Nonetheless, vehicle accidents are still the leading cause of death in the United States.

About 88 years ago, driver education was first introduced as a course to reduce the number of traffic accidents and more importantly to reduce the number of fatalities once automobiles began to become customary. Research studies have published the results of teenagers who had not completed any driver education course are more likely to receive either a traffic violation or be involved in a vehicle accident. Driver education has the purpose of educating the basic knowledge and foundation of how to operate a vehicle safely, as well as recognize traffic signs and symbols. Driver education has become much more complex than understanding red means stop and green means go. The use and purpose of turn signals, headlights and taillights has become a major important feature to vehicles to communicate with other drivers. For example, understanding the use of the high beams in fog could cause a serious vehicle accident due to the reflection of the headlights in the fog. Driver education also crucially includes the statistics of the endangerment of driving under the influence, speeding and any form of distraction while driving. The inclusion of the statistics is to persuade the learners to not do so by providing facts and quantifiable evidence. For example, increasing speed from 60 miles per hour to 80 miles per hour can quadruple the chances of a fatal vehicle accident. Although driver education has decreased the number of vehicle accidents since first introduced almost a century ago, there continues to be a high number of vehicle accidents every year in the United States, along with a large number of fatalities along with it.

There are three changes the United States must make to significantly reduce the number of traffic accidents. First, the driver education courses are too simple and outdated. Driver education should be taken seriously. Each state requirement varies in the United States, however the average driver spends less than 40 hours behind the wheel prior to taking the driving test. The purpose is to not be an easy pass within a couple days. Driver education is to prepare young adults that a motor vehicle is not a toy, but a luxury that should be taken away when used carelessly or endangering others. This leads to the second, penalties in the United States typically are only a fine up to $1000. Do not get me wrong, $1000 is a lot of money, however you are still giving the person the power to go behind the wheel of a vehicle. Whereas in other countries with the lowest vehicle accidents, for example Sweden, suspension of the license ranging between 3 to 8 months along with a fine is considered a standard penalty. Lastly, due to how far technology has advanced, possibly creating a virtual reality of a car crash for new drivers to unrealistically experience can lower the chances of them speeding. This would allow them to fully acknowledge the chances of a fatal accident for speeding slightly above 60 miles per hour. Driver education can only do so much as sharing information and statistics, but increasing difficulty of the education, enforcing uncompromising penalties as well as experiencing a realistic car crash are three new changes that could possibly lower vehicle accidents significantly.

As of now until changes are made, all people can do to limit vehicle accidents is to share the dangers of driving. Constantly reminding my friends, family and additionally myself about the horrific stories shared across social media of vehicle accidents. Bringing awareness to the innocent lives lost due to others choosing to drive under the influence or to being distracted by passengers or phones is a start. Awareness is a strong, powerful advocacy that must be done. It is what will convince the public as well as the politicians to make changes towards obtaining a driver’s license and the punishments for irresponsibility when behind the wheel. Without any public support for change, thousands of vehicle accidents will continue to happen every year.

My word of advice to any driver, especially young adults who are just beginning to drive is to always be aware of their surroundings. There is new technology every year to assist drivers such as back up cameras and blind spot monitoring, but it is not fully reliable. Just because self-driving vehicles are becoming more available, the person in the driver’s seat must still pay attention and hold accountability if the vehicle were to lose control. Self-control is also important, if you constantly look at your phone, possibly consider putting it in the back seat out of reach. Young adults must understand that once you sit in the driver’s seat, you are taking responsibility for your choices and actions, rather than relying on technology to take over for the driver.