With a Great Car, Comes Great Responsibility

It was a dark night. As the driver picked up speed on the winding roads of a mountain, he received a call from his colleague Billy. The driver asked him what special patient cases Billy had in store for him. As he talked, the driver noticed that the car in front of him was going slower than he was. Annoyed, he drifted over to the left lane, unaware that the lanes were marked solid yellow. After some talking, he asked Billy for a picture of the patient he was interested in. While looking down at his phone, his car slowly began to drift towards the car that he was passing. Bam! The cars collided and the driver’s car was sent whirling towards a tree, and then ricocheting outside the edge of a cliff. Luckily for him, he survived, but his hands were severely injured. This fateful car accident set Dr. Stephen Strange towards his trajectory to become the Sorcerer Supreme, but also endure a lifetime of pain and regret.

This movie made 12-year-old me start to think about why I should never irresponsibly drive, even before I had a car or my license. Dr. Strange’s story helps remind me to always pay attention to the road and make good choices whenever I drive, and why drivers’ education is so important in reducing roadside accidents and deaths.

Drivers’ Education courses teach inexperienced drivers on safe driving techniques, rules of the road, and how to react to various roadside situations. With this information, inexperienced drivers can understand how to drive on the road safely and are better prepared when it comes to the real task. Additionally, Drivers’ Education provides hand-on 1-1 driving sessions with an instructor, which is good for roadside experience. In the driving sessions, instructors can teach drivers new driving skills on the road and can give constructive criticism on techniques that could be improved upon. Roadside experience is important for any new driver because the more experience one has on the road, the more comfortable and prepared they become when driving. After completing basic driving classes and sessions, drivers are assessed through a written test and a driving test to make sure that they understand the rules of the road and can perform basic traffic maneuvers safely.

Drivers’ Education courses also extremely emphasize the dangers of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol whenever driving. It teaches drivers that even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can impair a person’s senses and basic reasoning, which is dangerous for a task that involves complete focus and coordination. They show videos of horrific accidents involving drunk drivers and stories told by drunk drivers who’ve ruined their bodies and the rest of their lives. These tactics are used to scare newer drivers away from attempting to drink and drive. By showing the horrific downsides of driving under the influence, new drivers are less likely to choose to drink and drive, therefore decreasing the risk of roadside deaths.

There are multiple steps any driver can take to reduce roadside deaths. Firstly, any driver should be mindful of their surroundings. Anything near us on the road can pose a potential danger to us, whether that’s the car in the blind spot, the pedestrian walking in the crosswalk, or the car that is about to merge onto the freeway. If a driver is unaware of what’s around them, they are putting themselves at risk of accidentally hitting someone or something, which can cause roadside deaths. Being aware of one’s surroundings allows a person to anticipate potential dangers and make informed decisions on how to best operate on the road, therefore reducing the risk of roadside deaths. To apply this, one could check their blind spots regularly before they merge, look out for any cars that display their turn signals, or be on the lookout for any pedestrians that might pop out from parked cars.

Next, any driver should give themselves enough time to get to their destination. When one leaves late for a destination or event, they are more likely to be in a rush to get there. One might result to speeding or making questionable maneuvers to get ahead of traffic and make it on time. Driving in a hurry could also lead to road rage because it might feel that everyone else on the road is going slower on purpose or that the traffic lights are rigged against you. Ultimately, giving oneself enough time to reach a destination prevents both speeding and aggressive driving, which can reduce the risk of roadside deaths.

I have never been in a car accident, thankfully. Although, as a kid, I have seen someone close to me (I won’t disclose who for safety reasons) speeding on a rural highway. The speed limit was 70 mph and I think they were going about 90 mph. A cop pulled them over and they were ticketed. As a driver who has been on a rural highway, I can see why a lot of drivers tend to go way over the speed limit when driving there. When the road is long, no cars in front, and it seems no traffic cameras or officers nearby, it’s tempting to press the accelerator a little harder than usual. Whenever I’m tempted to speed, however, I tell myself in my head that being pulled over and getting my license revoked is not worth it to get to my destination a few minutes earlier.

To help others become safer on the road, I can set a good example for other cars by abiding by the speed limit or only going a few miles over. When drivers see other drivers going extremely past the speed limit, they might be tempted to match their speed or go a little faster than them. If the cycle repeats for every driver, the roads would be more dangerous to drive on. Abiding by the speed limit could possibly influence other drivers to also moderate their speed. I could also aid the main driver whenever I’m on the passenger side of the car. When someone is in the passenger seat, it’s common for them to not pay attention or stare at their phone because they are not driving. However, being in the passenger seat could also mean an extra pair of eyes for the main driver. Whenever I’m in the passenger seat, I can help check the blind spot for incoming traffic, which can help the main driver stay safe when merging. I could also help be on the lookout for potential dangers that might be ahead.

Being a driver on the road comes with many potential life-threatening dangers. One wrong choice or mistake by you or another driver could mean life or death on the road. It’s up to us as drivers to keep ourselves safe and accountable for good driving habits. Remember that with a great car comes great responsibility.