Saving Lives One Class At a Time

Whether you are an avid newsreader or scroll social media, you have probably been accustomed to reading about the most recent fatal vehicle accident in your area. Living in a metro area, this seems to be the article I find myself reading several times per week and I tend to wonder if the accident and usual fatality could have been avoided. After learning the details, often the accident was related to negligence, or distracted or impaired driving. Hindsight is 20/20, so we can assume the drivers who cause these accidents don’t have any forethought regarding the consequences of their poor driving habits. The grand question is: how do we prevent these accidents and deaths?

To most, a driver’s education course may be a waste of time and just another expense in their checkbook. Many drivers feel that taking the standard driver training course to get your license prepares you for the rest of your years behind the wheel. What they don’t take into consideration are the constant changes in road laws, newer exposures to look for, and a newer generation of drivers with a much higher tendency to be distracted. Contrary to popular belief, taking the time and spending the money to take a driver’s education course could save many lives by teaching even the most experienced drivers the skills they need to keep themselves safe in a potential accident situation. Driving exposures change all the time, and our driving habits on the road should reflect these changes.

To reduce the number of vehicular fatalities, there must be some form of constant education. In order to sell insurance or real estate, or to become an accountant, we expect people to educate themselves and work towards a license or certification. Similarly, if you wish to operate a vehicle you must train for a year or two before obtaining an official driver’s license. The difference in a professional license and a driver’s license is the expectation and requirement for a career professional to maintain their license by taking a Continuing Education course every 2-4 years; why is it not the same for a driver’s license? Most of our population are licensed to operate a vehicle on public roads, and driving is far more likely to cause physical injury or death than an accountant who files your tax return incorrectly. Why do we hold certain professionals to these educational standards but not a frequent driver who has the potential to put an end to an entire family? To keep our roads safe, it is so important that we continue to educate ourselves. Driving should be considered a privilege. We should have to earn more than just our initial driver’s license. Defensive driving and other driver education courses would teach people to be more aware of other people, stay focused on the road, and other various techniques to prevent an accident and potential loss of life. Most everyone knows someone that has been involved in an accident or lost someone in an auto accident and educating licensed drivers consistently could impact those numbers greatly.

I feel very grateful to have never been in an auto accident myself, and while I have seen accidents firsthand through family and friends, I have witnessed more through my profession. As a licensed Insurance Producer, vehicular accidents are a day-to-day occurrence. Working in this industry is an eye opener to the exposure we are all faced with during our regular commute, and I am tasked with answering the call from those involved. People are constantly in accidents over small distractions and the urge to get where they’re going faster than anyone else. Most insurance companies, mine included, offer discounts to drivers who are willing to take a defensive driving course. While a great incentive, people tend to find the course too exhaustive of time. So many people do not see the value in the course. After assisting so many victims of accidents, it is appalling how many could have been avoided.

As someone who is constantly on the move and regularly commuting, my driving habits are far from perfect. There are many ways I could improve my habits, including less distraction and a slower pace, but the greatest way to enhance my driving and become safer behind the wheel is to revisit the best techniques for getting behind the wheel and to implement them when I hit the road. Ultimately, consistently revisiting these concepts in a class could save not only mine and my passengers’ lives, but the lives of everyone else on the road. Consistent behind-the-wheel education is far more important and frankly a necessity to keeping our roads and everyone on them safe.