Educating The Nations Drivers

In recent years, the sheer number of driving related deaths in America alone has become staggering, reaching heights of up to 34,000. It is safe to say that this should be considered nothing less than an emergency of national scale, and needs to be addressed immediately. How exactly should one tackle this issue? The answer comes in two parts. Mandated driver education, and self responsibility. These two things working in tandem across the nation has the immense potential to reduce the number of lives taken by driving related accidents.

` Driver education is immensely important in reducing road fatalities. There are dozens of established rules of the road that exist solely to keep people safe, and having full knowledge of every single one of those rules is nothing less than a matter of life and death. Our current system does the most that it can; educating an entire nation every single year is no easy task. I believe, however, that the most important step we can take on a national scale to reduce driving fatalities is to double down on driver education. It is a monumental task for certain, but no task should be considered too monumental when so many lives are at stake. With increased driver education comes increased safety on the road, and increased safety preserves the lives of thousands of Americans. When one knows the rules of the road, everyone is safer for it, and that is why driver’s education is so vital for reducing road fatalities, and why it is the greatest step we can take as a nation to keep people safe in their vehicles.

While education is a great first step towards road safety as a nation, there is much more that we can do as individuals to ensure not only the safety of ourselves, but the safety of the people closest to us. Self responsibility is critical for those operating vehicles on the road. Every single vehicle operator needs to fully understand the gravity of their situation, and the outcomes that a poor decision could produce. When someone knows the stakes, and holds themselves fully accountable for their actions, poor decision making and negligence on our nation’s roads will decrease. Self responsibility is a very powerful tool, and it is up to each and every one of us to use it for ourselves. That is not all it will require, however. In order to really make sure every driver in the nation understands the stakes of their decisions, we have to encourage the people around us to make those good decisions as well. Self responsibility must be spread through word of mouth, the few influencing the many. One person holding themselves accountable for their actions on the road is a great thing, and could very well save lives, but to truly make an impact that person must influence their peers. We all have to encourage our friends, family, and neighbors to hold themselves responsible for their driving, and make sure everyone understands the gravity of what could come from poor judgment. Doing so could save the lives of your closest friends and family, not to mention countless others that use the roads every day. Self responsibility can reduce road fatalities and even save lives, as long as it is used in earnest with a full understanding of the consequences of one’s choices.

A friend of mine who I knew well passed away in a car crash only a week ago. The absolute shock and disbelief of this event tore through not only me, but the entire community. Families, friends, acquaintances, this singular event sent a ripple effect throughout the entirety of everyone I know. And the extremely unfortunate truth is that this is not uncommon. This kind of thing happens every single day, in communities all around the United States. Real people, with hopes, dreams, friends and family, falling victim to something preventable. It is a constant and unending tragedy that we have to stop. This starts with each and every one of us, holding not only ourselves accountable, but the people around us. I myself have stopped driving in weather I feel uncomfortable in, even if it’s driveable. I have pulled over several times to take naps, and only driven when I feel sufficiently alert. I still have a long way to go to become a perfect driver, but I will continue to try. I will continue to encourage my friends and family to try, and I hope that you will do so as well.