Your Death Could Bring About the Next Driving Regulation

A cornerstone of our society is we do not allow children to do certain things until they are ready. They are still developing crucial brain functionality that may impair their decision-making. We see how important this brain development is because we do not allow them to smoke, drink or vote until they are more mature and on par with other adults. For some, the thought of letting a 16-year-old get into a several thousand-pound machines sounds frightening. To expect them to adequately control it within a few feet of other thousand-pound machines while traveling at speeds that exceed most animals on earth causes a bit of alarm. Still, thousands do it every day; as such, we have laws and rules that make it as safe as possible. The specifics of the regulations vary from state to state, sometimes in direct contrast to one another.

Drivers are in direct danger when following the regulations, they are accustomed to in another state. An example of this is, in Texas, a central lane cordoned off with yellow lines is an acceleration lane, while in Nevada, that same lane with the same indicators is a turning lane. The only thing that tells us what those lines mean is local laws and the driver’s education facility teaching the rules and regulations of the road. Driver’s education is a requirement for many teenagers looking to earn permission to drive on public roads. Many see it as a necessary evil to achieve the freedom of being able to drive on one’s own. Ultimately, driver education is in place to prevent accidents and injury. Drivers sometimes make unexpected decisions that endanger the lives of those around them and themselves, which, unfortunately, can be fatal. A proper driver’s education helps to mitigate that risk with training and education.

Driving is more complex than meets the eye, especially for a long-time driver’s license holder. Drivers easily forget the danger that comes along with driving since so many drive every single day. An overly relaxed parent or fellow driver giving instructions without proper context could lead a new driver to have habits or assumptions that could be fatal. All new drivers are expected to follow lessons closely and are tested on their knowledge to ensure they are safe on the road, following rules and regulations. Unfortunately, students do not always take this information to heart and only use the knowledge to pass the driving test. They ignore some of the most vital data because they feel it does not apply to them or the rules are too restrictive. Distracted driving accounts for nearly 10% of all traffic accident deaths in 2019 and over 100 times that number in injuries. Since the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in rates of deaths by distracted driving. This could be due to a more inexperienced driving force on the roads since remote work and staying home have become more common. To ensure there are injuries and fatal accidents, drivers need to embody the given information and heed the warnings of their instructors.

Experiencing a car accident is terrifying. After the shock has passed, it is easier to consider what happened. The accidents I was involved in was due to negligence. At a very young age, I was in an accident where a large SUV lost control on a two-lane road during an ice storm. The road had very steep shoulders, and it was impossible to pull off the road to avoid a collision. My family neglected to move the car off the road before the SUV impacted us, but luckily we all had our seatbelts on, although it left a mark on us after the collision. The driver of the vehicle that lost control and rammed into us ended up striking five other vehicles behind us. The operator of that car was driving too fast for the road conditions and overcorrected their vehicle, causing them to spin out and somehow stay in the middle of the road. Their vehicle plowed through five cars before hitting a semi-truck and causing both to slide into the ditch on the shoulder before coming to a halt. This experience was terrifying for me as a child. I still vividly remember seeing the SUV come hurtling toward us sideways as my family screamed before being hit and crashing into the ditch on the shoulder of the road. Ever since that day, I have worked hard to be a conscientious driver. Whenever it is snowy or icy, I exhibit extreme caution and sleep in my car if I feel the roads are too dangerous to drive on. If more people reacted similarly to accidents years after they were involved, people would be more cautious driving these thousand-pound machines down the road. 

Ultimately if everyone was perfectly attuned to the rules and followed the laws to the letter, drivers would be much safer, and traffic accidents would be a thing of the past. Sadly, we are not robots that know every rule, state by state. Each state in our nation has different regulations. Humans are prone to error, and mistakes happen. That is what an accident is, a mistake that no one intended to allow to happen. One step that can be taken to reduce the number of traffic fatalities is nationwide standardization. This is unlikely to happen, so the next best thing is for all drivers to be more cautious when driving, look out for danger and proceed with caution. Do not drive when feeling emotional. This could lead to angry driving and making hazardous decisions. Driving while upset can be highly distracting, and the best course of action is to find a safe area to pull over and calm down before continuing the trip. If everyone did this, the roads would be a much safer place. Another good thing to remember is that all laws, rules, and regulations are in place for a reason. It is macabre to imagine, but those rules are often set in place because someone died.