Safety In Tandem With Education

Human nature is synonymous with destructive follies that lack malicious intent but render the same unfortunate consequences regardless. This tumultuous cycle of accidental tragedies plaguing society beseeches the question of what reckless actions bring about the most harm and crescendo the number of casualties and lives mourned each year. Just as humanity directly correlates to calamities, hubris is a fatal beast that often entrenches itself in the inner psyche and serves as a catalyst for poor decisions. Considering the perfect storm that transpires when accidents meet pride, it is no anomaly that car accidents and irresponsible driving are the main contributors to untimely deaths. Therefore, it is detrimental that driver education is of the utmost importance to reduce the numerous accidents caused by carelessness and to help eradicate pretentious attitudes regarding driving safety.

To effectively reduce the catastrophic consequences that coincide with driving, we must ostracize the value of well-executed driver’s education rather than the perfunctory system we currently uphold. Having completed driver’s education online within the last few years to get my learner’s permit, I reluctantly admit that I was ill-prepared to be behind the wheel but my excitement for an ounce of freedom overwhelmed my sense of reasoning. However, that is not to say I was an explicitly incapable driver or drove irresponsibly, but rather my hesitancy and anxiety regarding driving had the potential to create dangerous situations while on the road. Through my driver’s education program, I completed ten units within a few weeks, took rudimental multiple-choice quizzes, watched outdated videos, and had a handful of tests that lacked a proctor to ensure candid results. Between the abundance of technology and the pandemic skewing overall student work ethic, the current online driver’s education system has dilapidated and needs dire restructuring to ensure students have a comprehensive knowledge of the dangers of driving, how to ensure safety on the road, and the interworkings of vehicles. As these curriculums lack effective communication, the weight of death at hands of a driver is tragically infinitesimal but should be meticulously communicated throughout the process. Even as I advanced to in-person driver’s education instruction, the instructor would let me make errors and correct me afterward. While this application may be most beneficial in certain circumstances, it created hazard scenarios as I was often unaware of one-way streets or how to safely change lanes as I had never navigated these roads before. Therefore, our driver’s ed instructors must give preemptive advice to prevent causalities at the hands of new drivers and stress the importance of knowing the road laws and traffic patterns around you to protect you and fellow drivers.

When considering the most efficacious way to reduce the death rates associated with driving, it is intuitive to simply reduce the number of drivers on the road. This ideology is attainable through the implementation of public transportation systems throughout the United States. An individual’s ability to drive in a cautious manner is often impeded by physical health, mental health, and age. Having an organization that provides easy access to transportation would everyone, but especially impaired individuals, to travel safely through a universal system. An additional benefit is that this method would significantly decrease carbon emissions which helps the environment. While this may seem like an irrelevant advantage, the money that would usually be designated to environmental protection could then be redistributed to further establish public transportation systems. Furthermore, structuring cities to be navigable by walking would provide individuals with a safer alternative to driving and therefore reduce deaths caused by vehicles. However, these are costly initiatives that would take decades to implement, especially on a national scale. Regardless, establishing alternative traveling options should be intently considered for future construction as it would be the most effective way to reduce driving death rates. For a more practical, cost-effective, and immediate solution, the driver education curriculum should be regularly updated to successfully educate the next generation of drivers. Due to the aforementioned issues discussed, the current course fails to adequately convey the solemnity of fatal car accidents and how tactful driving can prevent these untimely atrocities. Updating the materials, especially the driver safety videos, would allow the curriculum to connect to younger generations and better communicate the significance of safe driving. Additionally, regular driving tests should be implemented, perhaps in tandem with renewing a driver’s license, to ensure licensed drivers are qualified to drive. Once a certain age is reached, driving tests could increase in frequency to ensure that the physical well-being of the driver is not negatively impacting their driving abilities.

Nonetheless, through personal introspection and educating myself about the severity of reckless driving, I will continue to advocate for driving safety and reevaluate my driving habits. Shortly after getting my license, I was in a minor car accident with minimal physical damage but a monumental impact on my internal state of mind. It was tantalizing to realize that I possess the calamitous potential to cause severe injury not only to a vehicle but also catapult others into intense periods of hurt and mourning. While mistakes are avoidable due to human nature, that does not negate our ability to bring about quintessential change by strictly following the legislature regarding driving and placing a higher priority on preserving life. The epitome of becoming a safer driver rests in the crux of obtaining the humility to admit inherent carelessness and an immense desire to change for the better. With that, we are on the precipice of serendipitous success in preserving life that can only be accomplished through a renaissance movement dedicated to the promotion of knowledge that retains the power to eradicate hubris and therefore ensure safety.