Four Strategies to Improve Driver Safety

Reminiscing on my time in the drivers ed class, my most valuable takeaways were from the hands-on experiences. The most notable one was when we used alcohol googles of different BACs to get an understanding of what it is like to be under the influence. This minor experiment opened my eyes to the true danger of driving under the influence and getting more of a grasp of the reality of the situation rather than just watching a documentary. I believe practices like this elevate driver’s education beyond “static” learning and can have a long-lasting impact on one’s overall approach to safer driving.

Classroom-based drivers education plays a crucial role in reducing the number of deaths by vehicle. As an increasing number of young and inexperienced drivers begin driving on their own, it is vital that they establish a foundational understanding of the rules of the road. Currently drivers ed classes do an adequate job in educating aspiring drivers by teaching them crucial topics like traffic laws, road signs, techniques on how to be a defensive driver, and most importantly the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Ingraining these practices in up-and-coming drivers creates a sense of security and comfort before taking a step into a car. Classroom driver’s ed in the first step in preparing drivers to more confidently get behind the wheel.

The next step is practical driving experience under the supervision of a driving instructor. This is important because driving is an experiential endeavor. While you can mentally know what the rules are, if you haven’t experienced the process of applying those rules, you won’t be comfortable behind the wheel. The six hours that I spent behind the wheel with my driving instructor were at times nerve wracking but also exhilarating. When I first nailed parallel parking after many tries, my instructor and I celebrated by going through the drive through and getting a milk shake (and he taught me the rules of fast-food drive throughs at the same time!).

In the United States of America roughly 13,500 people die from driving under the influence. Given this high number, reducing the number of driving-related deaths is directly related to preventing people from driving under the influence. I have a few strategies on how to accomplish this goal.

• Strategy #1: Increase the punishment for driving under the influence. A harsher penalty on your license being suspended is an easy solution to hopefully decrease the number of drivers under the influence, however a suspension of one’s license is not enough. Jail time must be a more common punishment for driving under the influence. As a result of creating stricter punishments, more people would second guess their choice of drunk driving.

• Strategy #2: To create awareness of the dangers of drunk driving we should create more ad campaigns. We should specifically target social media sites because many drunk drivers are teenagers and the best way to target the teenage audience is through social media.

• Strategy #3: Promote public transportation while also making public transportation more affordable. With an alternative solution to return home after drinking the number of drunk drivers should decline as public transportation becomes more accessible.

• Strategy #4: Create “safe ride” partnerships with shared ride companies like Uber and Lyft. These companies have revolutionized transportation in the US and beyond. Since companies like Uber and Lyft typically have “give back” programs, we should enroll them in a creative program to pilot a “safe rides” program where their drivers provide rides home to those under the influence. In exchange, Uber and Lyft can garner positive PR for playing a role in helping get people home safely.

By putting some, if not all, of these strategies into place the number of drunk drivers will decrease. While drunk driving is a significant issue, accidents will still happen whether people are under the influence or not. In 2014, I was a passenger of a bad car accident where our car got rearended and completed a 360 into the curb, which still has marks to this day. That accident made me realize that you don’t need to be going 60+ mph to get injured or even die. Depending on the situation fatal accidents can still occur even if you are not on a highway. This realization has led to me becoming much more careful when I’m driving because I understand that all it takes is two people to be at the same place at the wrong time to die. To prevent accidents from occurring there are so many easy steps you can take. When I drive, I always try to drive to the speed limit. It is not worth putting yourself in significantly more danger to try and shave off a few minutes on your ride. Another key to not getting into an accident is being a defensive driver. It is key to be aware of your surroundings. When driving on the highway do not cut anyone off or change lanes without using your blinkers because all it is doing is creating problems for the drivers around you. Being a defensive driver, however, creates a safer driving experience for you and others around you. After becoming a safe driver you can also help the people around you become safe drivers. If you are in the car with a friend or family member that is driving, be vocal if they aren’t following the laws and encourage them to do what is right. Overall, with more awareness for the problems at hand accidents while driving should decrease and the roads should become safer for up-and-coming and experienced drivers.