Drivers Getting the Balance Right

A car careens down the asphalt, hugging the curve as all fixed cylinders and moving pistons work in perfect harmony. A favorite song plays on the stereo; the motorist rolls down the window to enjoy the cool breeze on their skin. Eventually, a cellphone notification pulls the driver from their reverie to answer the dopamine-driven pull to glance at a screen. Driving is a passion that captures the essence of the American spirit, but drivers must get the balance of freedom and responsibility right.

Completing a comprehensive driver education course is the most significant step a driver can take to be a safe driver and reduce the number of driving deaths. The task of finishing a driver education course falls on the shoulders of every driver, balancing the sense of autonomy with accountability. Driver education effectively equips drivers with essential skills such as knowledge of traffic laws, defensive driving, awareness of road hazards, and hours of critical practice behind the wheel. However, the rubber meets the road with the challenge of knowing versus doing. Drivers must be willing to understand and follow all traffic laws, such as accepting the texting and cellphone statutes regarding distracted driving.

In my home state, texting while driving is illegal in every county, and some cities ban all cellphone use while driving. Distracted driving is such a big problem in Texas that the Department of Transportation launched a crucial call-to-action safety campaign named Text. Talk. Crash. As recently as 2021, 1 in 5 motor vehicle accidents in my state were caused by a distracted driver. These accidents resulted in 431 deaths and nearly 3,000 serious injuries. Distracted driving is personal negligence, the unrestrained yearning to place personal freedom over personal accountability, and blatant disregard for the safety of self and fellow man. American businessman Bobby Kotick said, “Autonomy leads to empowerment. We must work hard to maintain a balance between collaboration and cooperation and independence.” Texting while driving is a choice of autonomy over cooperation leading to safer roads and the greater good.

There are vital steps, as a society and as individuals, we can take to become integral components of safe driving aimed at reducing the number of driving deaths. Governing bodies can enforce traffic laws, including distracted and impaired driving and wearing seat belts, impeding dangerous driving behaviors. Civil planners can ensure the safety of their citizens by including guardrails and reflective signs in their designs. Responsible drivers can follow posted traffic laws to the letter, including speed limits, even when running late. Forward-thinking leaders will design adequate infrastructures and well-maintained roadways. Accountable individuals will pay their taxes used to maintain safe thoroughfares. Finally, a dedicated driver will perform preventative vehicle maintenance for safe and reliable transportation, such as brakes that work on a slick roadway.

In the late afternoon, after a long day of high school, I drive West, facing into the sun only a couple of hours before setting. I should go home, but I’m not ready. So instead, I head to the drive-thru on the way home to buy a chocolate milkshake. I am stalling for more time to enjoy the freedom of my tin can oasis. Fortunately, I have never been in a car accident, but I am convinced that is more than luck. My family makes following traffic laws a habit, such as respecting posted school zone speeds and stopping at four-way intersections without cutting corners. Some things are out of our control, but many things, such as safe driving choices, are within our control. As we get behind the wheel, we should imagine clergyman Thomas a Kempis’ asking us to be wise with every driving decision, “How seldom do we weigh our neighbor in the same balance with ourselves?”

The American dream captures the desire to achieve an objective by working hard and the freedom to blaze our trail. The automobile is an extension of that American ideal, and the innovations of 1920s pioneer, Henry Ford, made ownership virtually affordable for everyone. According to the American Public Transportation System, traveling by public transportation is ten times safer per mile than traveling by automobile; yet that has not convinced 232.8 million motorists to stop starting their engines. In Capitol One’s recent study, 87% of people believe owning a car provides freedom to pursue more opportunities. With so many drivers on the road, making roadways safer is a personal decision each driver must make before they put the key in the ignition. As freedom-loving Americans, we can responsibly choose to wear a seatbelt, remain focused without distractions such as texting, follow traffic rules, stay alert, maintain our vehicles, and practice being defensive drivers. By implementing these crucial steps of personal accountability, we can work together to reduce driving deaths and create safe roads for all of us, giving us the freedom to experience the open road.