Do Not Forget Your Seatbelt

A driver’s education course is required to be able to attain a license, but this does not seem to be enough. People ages 16-20 have the highest rate of car crashes in the world. Why are people in these age groups, though taking a driver’s education course recently, at a higher risk of a crash than those of an older age group? Many reasons point to why this is the case, and these drivers need to be informed of safer driving habits.

Technology has had a major impact on the people and the world around us. Some impacts of technology have been beneficial, and some have not. Recent technology has given scientists new ways to discover cures for illnesses and given businesses new ways to easily advertise their products. Phones, a relatively recent technology, are a part of this major impact on people and the world around us. Phones have negatively affected drivers around the world. Drivers, especially younger drivers, tend to use their phones while driving and this causes a major distraction. Drivers are texting, playing games, and doing other unnecessary things on their phones while driving. These distractions lead to car crashes, which in turn can lead to death. It is estimated that 60% of drivers text while driving and 66% of drivers answer a call while driving.

My best friend was driving, and I was in the passenger seat of her car a few months ago. Her boyfriend texted her and she immediately picked up her phone to text him back. I explained to her she should not text while driving because it is dangerous. She told me it was fine since she knew what she was doing. Next thing we knew she had flipped her car upside down in a ditch. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but she stated she would never pick her phone up again while behind the wheel. Being on her phone while driving took her eyes off the road and slowed her reaction time to correct her mistake. “While it is difficult to know for sure whether and how much driver cell phone use increases accidents and casualties, official estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are that 995 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2009 due to the use of cell phones while driving” (Cheng 1420). Although 995 people lost their lives due to driving while using a phone, imagine how many undocumented incidents of people being injured in a car crash because of phone usages have occurred.

Driver’s Education reduces the number of deaths on the road, but if improved, it could reduce the numbers more. Driver’s Education courses inform upcoming drivers of how to drive safely and correctly. They teach upcoming drivers how to read road signs, how a car works, rules of the road, and how to drive safely. Though they teach upcoming drivers how to be safe on the road, young drivers are continuously getting in car crashes. “Although driver education (DE) is widely accepted as an effective teen driver safety measure and widely available in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, evaluations have generally failed to show that such formal programs actually produce safer drivers” (Mayhew 1). Driver’s Education provides adequate teachings for remembering common driving knowledge such as road signs, but not for quick, safe decision making. Young drivers need to be able to make quick decisions in a fast-paced environment on the road. Driver’s Education teachers should create situations for the upcoming driver to practice safely to know how to react in an emergency. “The safety impact of driver instruction might also be improved if it emphasized not only learning of key skills and capabilities, but also their acquisition in situations that are most relevant, such as in situations where young drivers are at high risk” (Mayhew and Simpson 4). Driver’s Education courses need to teach upcoming drivers how to react safely and quickly to situations on the road that could lead to a car crash, which could lead to bodily harm or death. Accidents on the road are the highest cause of deaths in the world. Driver’s Education courses need to highlight the harm and the cost of using a phone while behind the wheel. Improving these aspects of Driver’s Education could majorly reduce the number of deaths on the road, which is incredibly important.

When behind the wheel, drivers should turn off alerts and possible items that could cause their phones to go off. Drivers should place their phones in a secure place, such as their console or in their dash. All distractions should be eliminated while driving for the driver to have complete focus on the road. When in the passenger seat with someone else driving, I shall hold their phone and help keep them focused on the road.