The Danger of Negligent Driving

The first time I sat in the driver’s seat, I was unaware of what responsibility it entailed. I was not only responsible for my life, but also the lives of those who would sit in the passenger’s seat. At the time I was nearly ten years old; my feet struggled to reach the brakes and gas peddles; innocent giggles erupted each time I honked the horn. Nearly five years later, I was stuck in my driver’s ed class, the power point presentation illuminated the entirety of the room. Drunk driving. Driving under the influence. The Danger of driving impaired. These foreign concepts followed me around until they sunk under my skin and held on for dear life. I had heard things growing up. But the topic remained far away until it was slapped into my face.

A few months later, after finally passing my driver’s ed test, I sat behind a wheel and started a car for the first time. The engine roared to life as I steadily placed my foot on the gas pedal. As I drove, at times I was overwhelmed by a few cars that brushed past me a little too close; anxiety spiked drastically at a few close turns, and those first few times on the highway terrified me, but the things I learned in driver’s ed stuck with me, adhered to my very sense of being. At times my mind wanders to my father and how he had felt as a thirteen-year-old kid, driving for the first time. In a different country, without many of the resources I had to prepare me for the strenuous task of driving; he had managed to learn but at what risk? Many of that risk would have been mitigated had he had driver’s ed. Even in this country, driver’s ed is not a required course in every state. Due to this, the risk of an accident occurring rises exponentially. For some, it is not common knowledge to not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Some opt out of buckling their seatbelt and others indulge in dangerous habits such as: ignoring stop signs or driving past the speed limit. Driver’s ed is vital because it highlights and elaborates upon the importance of driving safely and effectively. The road is for everyone; therefore, everyone should be instructed about safe driving habits. While accidents happen, we must take preventative measures to reduce them and their associated casualties to a minimum.

As a new driver, I was in the middle of a driving class when I encountered my first accident. Earlier in the day, I had entered the car and buckled my seatbelt. As I drove across the town, I made sure to check my mirrors and speed whilst placing most of my attention on the road. As I drove to the intersection near my house and put my left signal to prepare to turn, I cautiously slowed down. Instantaneously, a vehicle crashed into the back of the car. My heart leapt out of my chest at the unexpected collision; the driver in the other car had been speeding down a hill, my driving instructor and I were the unsuspecting victims. My instructor assured me the blame wasn’t to be placed on me but the other driver, but sometimes I wonder whether I could have done something to prevent the accident in the first place. Humans are not perfect and unforeseen accidents occur, but it is the accidents that are a result of human negligence that are the most preventable and heartbreaking. A few weeks after my accident, a friend got into an accident, unlike me, who had sustained no injuries, she had been bruised and her car was wrecked. Even my parents, who have been drivers for nearly thirty years, have gotten into accidents on occasion due to the negligence of others on the road.

Around the world, almost 1.35 million people die from car accidents annually. This equates to more than 3,700 deaths by car accident daily. In the United States, 42,795 people died from car accidents in the year 2022. This translates to a little over a hundred deaths per day. Over 94 percent of car accidents are a result of human error and negligence. While not all accidents can be prevented, driver’s ed plays a huge role in keeping pedestrians, drivers, and passengers safe. Not all countries have established a nationwide driver’s ed program, but the United States has the capacity to implement this nationwide and hopefully prevent a larger percent of car accidents due to human error. Individuals can play their own part in preventing accidents by remaining aware. As a driver, one can be more attentive on the rode and opt out of driving if impaired by either drugs or alcohol. A passenger can play an active role by also paying attention to the rode and the driver. Whenever I’m a passenger, I make sure to keep track of the speed limit signs and communicate the changes in the speed limit to the driver. Drivers are subject to human error and can sometimes make mistakes; therefore, a passenger can take on some of the burden and keep track of a driver’s mental and physical state. Social media is also a useful outlet to educate on the dangers of driving irresponsibly. The consequences of negligent driving can be dire, but if we were to take the necessary steps to educate everyone, the number of accidents could be greatly reduced.