Be The Change, Drive Safe

Having lived in Houston for the past year, I can strongly conclude that I am no stranger to unsafe road conditions. On my way to school in the mornings, I often like to joke that the other cars like to honk as their way of saying “Good Morning”. But the reality is that driving can be a very, very dangerous activity– especially when the risks are so high. In a staggering statistic, the Houston Chronicle reports that, in an analysis of federal highway data between the years 2001 and 2016, Houston had the “worst record for roadway fatalities in terms of death per capita”. With the rise of vehicle-related deaths, one must stress the importance of safe driving and driver education.

In 2021, 42,915 people died in motor vehicle crashes– 4,480 of those taking place in Texas. With Texas drivers making up 10.4% of America’s car-related deaths, this statistic points out the extreme conditions drivers may have the misfortune of facing from unsafe driving practices– especially in my home state. This is a problem all of America faces, and it’s a problem that grows in severity each year. One mistake can mean the loss of one or multiple lives. And, even then, some road conditions are beyond any one person’s control, so it is essential for drivers to reduce the likelihood of accidents on their part by informing themselves about safe driving practices.

Last February, I was notified that a childhood friend of mine had been killed in a car accident as a result of icy road conditions. She was a senior in high school, like me, and had had so much of her life ahead of her. Where most people her age would be getting ready for graduation or college, she was no longer granted that privilege. It had been stolen from her, and she could never get it back. Most people don’t realize how final death is until they’re looking at it right in front of them. It only takes one accident to take a life forever. And being in a car exceptionally heightens that risk.

I remember asking myself, “What if it had been me who had died that day?”. We had been so close in age. It very well could’ve been me, had the situation been reversed. Yet one of us was continuing our life, free to pursue our passions and experience new things every day, while the other was dead. Her life had ended before it had even started. There was such finality to her death– I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around it. The sad reality is, that it really could’ve been me. Or you. Or your friend. Globally, there are almost 3,700 deaths per day related to vehicular accidents. That’s 3,700 lives that we can never get back and that we’ve failed to protect.

While weather conditions (such as in the case of my friend) are hard to prevent, there are still conditions in our control that, as drivers, we can work to reduce and help facilitate safer driving practices that will save lives. Conditions such as speeding or being under the influence of alcohol/ drugs while driving make up the larger percentage. And these conditions are preventable.

To combat these conditions, driver’s education can help to drive safer driving initiatives in young drivers– fueling a new generation to reduce car-related deaths. Driver’s education can be the difference between life and death. In reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving, drivers need to follow these steps that lead to safer driving:

To start, both the driver and passengers in a vehicle should be wearing a seatbelt– even for short-distance trips. It should go without saying, but seatbelts can have a significant impact on protecting all persons traveling on the road. According to the CDC, seatbelts have been proven to dramatically reduce the risk of fatal injury by 50%. Seatbelts help to protect the spine and to de-accelerate your body in the case of a collision.

Secondly, distractions should be kept to a minimum. While it may seem important at the moment to watch that video or text that friend, distractions of any kind are never more important than risking another person’s life. One solution to this is for drivers to put their phones away in a place they know they won’t be tempted to reach for while driving. Additionally, on iPhones, the “Driving Focus” feature works to act as a “Do Not Disturb” while driving. It limits notifications like calls and texts to help drivers focus on the road rather than their devices while driving. My mother has it enabled automatically, and it yields significant results in effectiveness.

Lastly, drivers should discourage themselves from speeding while driving. Although it can be tempting to speed in certain areas with low traffic or when in a rush, it is not advised by the law for good reason. Growing up, my parents would tell me that going 5 or 10 mph over the speed limit was okay and even “encouraged” by others to keep up with the flow of traffic. This, however, is not true and leads to a very slippery slope. Speeding makes it more difficult for drivers to accurately account for factors beyond their control when driving at this pace, such as pedestrians or cars merging, and should not be applied while driving in order to reduce the likelihood of car-related deaths or injuries.

In all, taking the steps to be a better and safer driver is essential to creating an environment where everyone can drive without the fear of bodily harm while on the road. Although not all driving conditions are under a driver’s control, it is their responsibility to follow traffic laws and to be aware of their surroundings. It is never acceptable to drive irresponsibly. Be the change, drive safe.

Works Cited
Begley, Dug, and John Barned. “Out of Control: Houston’s roads, drivers are nation’s most deadly.” Houston Chronicle, 31 August 2018, https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/article/Houston-s-roads-drivers-are-nation-s-most-12865072.php. Accessed 31 July 2023.
CDC. “Global Road Safety | Features | Injury Center.” CDC, 10 January 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/global-road-safety/index.html. Accessed 31 July 2023.
Miller, Chaz. “The Texas Department of Transportation says 2021 was the second deadliest year on Texas roads with 4,480 deaths.” ABC13, 18 March 2022, https://abc13.com/txdot-the-texas-department-of-transpiration-houston-traffic-deaths/11662741/. Accessed 31 July 2023.
NHTSA. “NHTSA’s 2021 Estimate of Traffic Deaths Shows 16-Year High.” NHTSA, 17 May 2022, https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/early-estimate-2021-traffic-fatalities. Accessed 31 July 2023.