The Difference Between Life and Death

Driving education is critical in preventing deaths related to car accidents. Driver education helps people to understand how to properly operate vehicles in a safe environment. Without driver education, a person would not have a solid foundation or understanding of how to operate a car. It is unfortunate that countless lives have been shortened because of reckless driving, but there are numerous routes for prevention.

For example, people should take the driver’s license test multiple times instead of once. This would help to weed out drivers who no longer follow the rules of the road. It would also help to prevent the elderly or impaired from endangering other drivers. Every driver should have their vision and hearing checked. This would prevent car accident-related deaths because all drivers would have the same baseline ability to see and hear. Another way accidents can be stopped is to create a more reliable driver’s license test. Every driver should be expected to perform the same maneuver regardless of where they are from. It is unfair for one driver to be expected to parallel park on their test while another driver does not. The test becomes unreliable, and it sets up drivers for accidents.

Many accidents occur during inclement weather. Areas do not prepare properly for snow, hail or rain. Drivers assume that it is acceptable to drive as if the weather is normal. This is a factor in many accidents that should be addressed. More action should be taken to make sure that roads are clean and protected from the weather to ensure driver safety. Alongside protecting roads, road signs should also be kept in good condition. Road signs are how drivers understand how the road works. Without good road signs, drivers have no sense of direction. This causes misunderstandings and accidents. For example, if a stop sign mentions that cross traffic does not stop, it should be kept in good condition so that a driver does not assume other cars will stop. Highways are also a site for accidents. Highway hypnosis is a common condition that drivers face while being on the highway for an extended period of time. There should be more done to help alleviate the symptoms of highway hypnosis. More people should be educated to spot the symptoms in order to prevent endangering other drivers. A final way that accidents can be prevented is enforcing speed limits. There should be more emphasis on obeying the speed limit, especially on the highways and in school zones.

Car accidents have become commonplace in my life. A majority of my family members have been in car accidents, and I have been present in those moments. Friends of mine have experienced car accidents as well. One experience I had in a car accident impacted me deeply. My father was driving to the store, and we heard a loud noise in the back of the car. My father knew instantly that the car had been hit. We turned into an empty parking lot and assessed the damage. The individual who hit my father’s car was texting on their phone while driving. I remember looking at this individual’s totaled car, thinking about how reckless this individual was. We were all lucky to have had no injuries that day, but it crossed my mind that this person’s brashness could have cost someone their life. This moment and the countless other car accidents I have seen have inspired me to be a responsible driver.

Steps I can take in order to be a safe driver and to assist others in being safe drivers is not using my phone while driving. Instead, I would turn off my phone and would place it far away from me so I could not be urged to look at it while driving. I would encourage my friends and family to do the same. If I notice this behavior in friends or family, I will strongly encourage them to use their phone when they are not operating a vehicle. Another way I can influence others to become better drivers is to encourage sober driving. Many accidents are caused by driving under the influence. Reaction time is delayed when people are not sober and quick reflexes are necessary in order to be a good driver. I will choose not to drive with friends or family members who decide that being drunk or high while on the road is a good idea. I will also become a driver that people can turn to when their driver is under the influence. All in all, driver education has evolved over time to adapt to issues that hinder safety. While modern technology within cars keeps drivers safe, there is much more progress to be made in driver education to help drivers protect themselves and others.