Driver Safety Essay

Why We Need Driver Education

It is obvious, when viewing the staggering statistics regarding vehicular accidents, that driver education is essential to minimize such events. I personally spent many hours with a certified instructor, and I truly feel that it helped me out so much more than just practicing with my parent in the car.

A good driver education program emphasizes safety and focus. My instructor was confident as well, which helped me make better driving decisions. I learned how to drive in high traffic situations, entering major highways; I also learned the reason for specific speed limits, which I am always very conscious of. With an emphasis on safety and good driving decisions, a course in driver education establishes good driving habits very early on. I think it can save lives!

If I had to come up with steps to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, the list would look like this: no texting and driving, minimize distractions, drive the speed limit, and stay alert ( no drugs or alcohol). These seem like very obvious rules of the road, but the statistics suggest that not every driver abides by them. Driving today requires concentration and focus. It leaves no room for distraction of any kind, or having senses dulled, creating slow response time. It is also extremely important to be sure all safety features of the vehicle are functioning. Recently, my grandparents were travelling here to visit. They made it about halfway through a four hour ride, until a speeding driver rounded a sharp turn and clipped the front of their car. Everyone was hurt; thankfully, there were no fatalities.

Interestingly, the airbags didn’t deploy even though the car was totalled. They were so fortunate to be alive. The point here is twofold: the other driver was going too fast, and the impact on my grandparents vehicle was crushing. Their brand new vehicle should also have been checked out to ensure airbag deployment at impact! This brings me to the topic of modern vehicle safety features. In the last 15 years, drivers of newer vehicles have had the advantage of a host of electronic features that enhance driving safety. This will, eventually, substantially reduce the number of accidents and minimize injury. As always, it is the driver’s willingness to use these features wisely, using sound judgement as a guide.

The NHTSA organization estimates that for the first 3 months of 2023, fatalities decreased in 32 states. Part of the reason for the decline is most likely due to stricter new vehicle standards involving advanced technology and investing millions of dollars to improve infrastructure and roadway safety. They are partnering with other organizations to promote new safety standards for heavy vehicles such as automatic emergency braking systems. They estimate that 19,000 crashes could be prevented from just this new mandate alone. According to NHTSA statistics, approximately 60,000 rear-end crashes a year occur due to a heavy commercial vehicle striking the vehicle it’s following. This is a staggering statistic, which can be mediated by the implementation of one type of technology.

Coupling new safety standards with the advanced features of today’s newer vehicles will ensure fewer accidents and fewer fatalities. Some of these technologies include driver assisted technologies such as lane departure warning, forward collision warning, rear cross traffic warning, and blind spot warning. Even the backup camera not found in earlier models has become essential in providing better rear vision.

Finally, there are advancements in collision intervention which undoubtedly will prevent crashes and save lives. Some examples of these are the pedestrian AEB, rear automatic braking, and blind spot intervention. These go beyond warnings: they are technological interventions which will prevent an oncoming crash/incident.

These technologies do not exonerate me, the driver, from my responsibilities to safe driving. An innovation is only as good as the user of it. As a driver, I am responsible for utilizing these features, and to do my part to ensure the safety of myself and others on the road.

What can I do to secure that safety? I can be sure my vehicle is in sound working condition, and that all safety features are functional. I will not text and drive, nor will I compromise my driving ability by using drugs or alcohol. I will be aware of my surroundings at all times, and I will keep my speed at or below the speed limit (depending on conditions of the road). If I am sleepy or drowsy, I will find a place to rest before continuing. Finally, I will keep abreast of current trends and technologies and road safety advice, keeping in mind my extensive education, thanks to a wonderful driver training course.