You Only Live Once

You
Only
Live
Once

Don’t waste it.

In today’s world, one of the leading causes of death in people
younger than 30 is traffic accidents. It is crucial that new drivers
are properly recognizing the dangers and responsibility’s paired
with driving. Obviously, there is no cure for human error and teenage
stupidity but by implementing more engaging and modernized learning
techniques we can hope to mitigate and/or reduce both issues.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about getting a
driver’s license is freedom. Many see it as an opportunity to let
loose, have fun, and maybe break a few rules. But the fact of the
matter is because of that freedom we need to know what to properly do
with it, or else reckless decisions can be made. Decisions many of us
would not make had we known better. Many take for granted and/or
don’t understand the speed and power of our vehicles.

To
reduce the number of deaths, injuries, and damages of reckless or
distracted driving, we need to take extra care to ensure all new
drivers understand the facts. No matter how good a multi-tasker they
think they are, vehicles move so quickly that our normal reaction
times are barely enough, so we can not afford to impair or restrict
it further in any way. This is one of the many reasons why phones and
other distractions need to stay stowed away whenever you’re in the
drivers’ seat. We also need to make proper use of seatbelts and
other protective devices at all times, just because you are a safe
driver doesn’t mean the people in the cars around you are.

In
2018 my mother and sister were on their way home when the car in
front of them, after hitting a dog, pulled an illegal U-turn in the
middle of the highway. The driver of the car (who turned out to have
a suspended license) ended up striking my mom’s car and scraping
their front end down the length of my mother’s vehicle. When I
first heard the news, I was understandably worried and upset, I
couldn’t believe this had happened to a close family member. After
we arrived on the scene, I learned two things, one, my mother and
sister were sore but unhurt and two, the driver of the other vehicle,
the vehicle at fault in the crash, had a suspended license. I was
shocked, when your license is suspended it is usually because you
fail to understand or comply with basic safety regulations. I
couldn’t believe that someone who should know they didn’t have a
full understanding of traffic safety and should know they were an
unsafe driver would drive anyway, and with two small children no
less. I knew that change needed to be made, but I couldn’t figure
out how. Part of the issue is people who make decisions like this are
ignorant of the fact that they are risking the safety of themselves
and others. Because of this they can and will partake unsafe actions
without realizing that they are, in fact, unsafe actions.

A solution I came up with is insurance companies can offer discounts
to people who register to a notification app. This app would post
random updates across on all of the users’ social medias. These
updates could include, what to do in scenarios were the safest course
of action isn’t clear, friendly reminders to always buckle up, and
assorted driving laws. It could also provide updates of other drivers
who made an unsafe decision (knowingly or not) and got hurt or hurt
others in the process, so you don’t make the same mistake they did.
I think this would be useful because it provides a reason for new
drivers to actively think about safe driving more often. The app
would also be helpful because young drivers aren’t necessarily told
how to react in certain situations because it is considered common
sense, when in reality, to our in experienced minds the safest course
of action isn’t always so clear. In today’s world, we need to be
more vigilant in making young people aware of what to do should these
situations occur.

To be a safer driver, we must
always remember and follow road laws. Most importantly, be mindful of
not only us and our passengers, but everyone in the vehicles around
you as well. While there is no cure for basic human error or
thoughtlessness, I believe both of these issues can be reduced
through a wider reach of learning opportunities. You Only Live Once,
and I strongly believe that if this app and other learning platforms
are used, we can all move forward to a safer, better, future.