A Nation On Wheels: How To Make Roads Safer For All

Since Henry Ford invented the Model T, cars have become an essential part of our everyday life, and we emerged as “A Nation on Wheels”. However, driving is also dangerous. Every year, 1.35 million people worldwide die in car accidents, making it a leading cause of death, especially in teens and young adults. Because this is such a pressing issue, it is of paramount importance for us to increase driver education and take steps to reduce the number deaths and create a safe world.

As known, driver education is crucial in reducing the number of deaths resulting from driving. It provides new drivers with the necessary knowledge and skills to operate a vehicle safely. This includes clear understanding traffic laws, road signs, defensive driving techniques, and good habits such as always using turn signals and not being an aggressive driver. Also, driver education teaches about the dangers of distracted and impaired driving, as well as other risky behaviors behind the wheel. These lessons can help drivers make better decisions while driving, reducing the likelihood of accidents and fatalities. In addition, some driver education often includes training in vehicle maintenance and inspection, which can help drivers identify and address potential safety issues before they become serious problems. Therefore, by fostering safe driving habits and increasing knowledge of vehicles early on, driver education can significantly help reduce the number of accidents and fatalities on the roads.

In addition to driver education, there are many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. This includes enforcing traffic laws more strictly which can deter drivers from engaging in reckless and aggressive behavior and ensure that those who break the law face consequences. By having a department in the police to specifically deal with traffic laws and ensuring good driving responsibility, many lives can be saved from the reckless drivers in the world. There are also many other steps law makers can do to make roads safer. One way is by funding more road infrastructure, such as promoting public transportation, improving road conditions, widening roads, and installing speed humps in residential areas in order to make roads safer. Investing public infrastructure and encouraging public transportation is particularly a very good idea, as not only does it reduce the number of vehicles on the road, making driving safer, it also reduces carbon dioxide emissions, which is essential in today’s world where global warming will become irreversible by 2030 if carbon emissions continue to rise.

Car companies can also help reduce driving accident and deaths by make safer vehicles for everyone including using better technologies such as safer airbags, more warning systems such as blind side indicators, and other improvements to make driving easier and safer for those on the road. Additionally, these companies can install signals and sensors on vehicles for emergency warning. In case a vehicle does end up in a car accident, these signals can alert authorities and medical professionals so that those injured can get help as soon as possible, thus saving lives.

While I have not been in an accident myself, the accidents I have heard of and my own experience of seeing my fellow classmates with bad merging or speeding habits have been traumatic and emotional. It indeed left a lasting impact on me, and I frequently feel anxious or fearful about driving or even riding as a passenger in cars with those reckless drivers. For example, some of my friends think it is “cool” to drive fast on the highways, or swerve between lanes and cars. However, such reckless behavior puts a lot of people at risk, no matter how safely or precautious you do these tricks, as other drivers cannot read your mind on what you want to do on the road. Thus, it is much safer to be a predictable and safe driver that will not put harm on others. Ways that we as drivers can become safer drivers to make the roads better is to practice safe driving habits such as using turn signals, wearing seat belts, and not be distracted while driving. We can also learn to be defensive drivers, such as leaving a good following space behind cars and being aware of surroundings and other vehicles. We can also promote same safe driving habits among friends and family and let them know the dangers of driving aggressively and recklessly. When we lead by example, change is inevitable, thus we as young drivers need to be the leaders of the next generation and promote safe driving and denounce reckless driving.

In our life, driving is essential, but there are too many unsafe and aggressive drivers out on the roads. By taking the above steps, we can become a better and safer driver and help promote safe driving habits among our friends, family, and community, ultimately contributing to safer roads for everyone and create a world that is safe to drive for all.