Drivers ed

Karma
McGinnis

Safe
Driving

Being
a young person, and just learning to drive was originally difficult.
I struggled with the anxiety of other drivers and the thought that
with one swerve I could kill my family, or someone else’s. I find
it almost appalling the lack of teaching that is done about driving
before one gets their license or permit. It is so unreasonable to
think that one person can be responsible enough to drive a vehicle
after a 25-30 question test, they can know the information, but not
realize the immense risk that they are taking every time that they
sit behind the wheel. The importance of drivers ed would save
thousands of lives, every day. With more than 38,000 people dying
annually, how can we not see an issue? 38,000 people’s lives are
carelessly tossed aside, and we as people- as Americans, should not
stand for it. There should be a specific course designed specifically
for teaching young and new drivers that their actions are
unjustifiable and that there must be change, and not an online one,
one in person where another human can show how them the correct way
to drive, handle situations, and the statistics of death and
financial loss caused by driving. We rely so much on technology, but
you can’t have an emotional connection with a computer, but you can
a person- and proving that in something as simple as this is
important because it will again prove that humans are reliant upon
things that they shouldn’t be and that feelings are essential to
trying to change any one person.

As
I have previously stated, a course designed specifically for this
matter is something that should be essential to the young and new
drivers all over America. As a matter of fact, the U.S. suffers from
more road crashes than any other high-income country, including
countries within Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and Japan-
approximately 50% more to be exact. And, another thing that many
drivers are not aware of is the fact that bikers have the same rights
as them on the road, yet in 2018, barely two years ago, there were
more biker and pedestrian fatalities than any year since 1990. On
average, road crashes, bike, and pedestrian fatalities cost the U.S.
$380
million
in medical expenses and cause society and the economy, the great
citizens of our country, $871
billion.
There is a 12.4 deaths per 100,000 people fatality rate, and I know
that that may not seem like much, but let’s crunch the numbers. The
population of the U.S. comes out to be around 327.2 million and is we
divide that by 100,000 you get 3,272. Multiply that by 12.4 and you
get 40,572.8. This is a reasonable number seeing as I stated before
more
than 38,000 people die annually, and these people range from newborns
to seniors, the leading cause of death in people 1-54 actually being
road crashes. But, nobody knows these things, and it is ridiculous.
People need to be made aware of these things and taught how to drive
properly to prevent deaths that are otherwise preventable.

My
parents owned a lot of cars growing up, fixing them and then selling
them for profit, and I have seen my fair share of cars. I have
witnessed tons of car crashes and witnessed many people recklessly
driving. What people don’t take seriously enough is that they are
taking
people’s lives into their own hands when driving. Your car is
essentially a weapon that we use on a day to day basis, ranging from
one ton to three tons in cars alone- not mentioning trucks or semis.
These vehicles allow us to move efficiently from point A to point B
in a reasonable amount of time, but reckless drivers don’t take the
dangers into account. I have been in the passenger seat numerous
times with an adult driving and they chose to text other people back,
or eat. I understand that you may be hungry, or it may have been a
very important text, but no fry or text is worth losing your life
over, and that is simply a fact. I, thankfully, do not have the
experience of going through a car accident, but I know numerous
people that have and know numerous reckless drivers. This world needs
to see a change in the education of driving and in the laws imposed.
For example, in Missouri “don’t text and drive,” is illegal
only for those under 21, but only them. If you are 21 or older, you
are legally able to, and that is simply ludicrous. The lawmakers need
to realize that just because someone is of age, does not mean that
they have the experience necessary to be safe while driving and
texting. It is because of this that I personally feel it should be
illegal for all drivers, regardless of age or experience.

The
point of this entire essay is simply this: be a safe driver. I cannot
say, like many other drivers, that I have not made a mistake while
driving. Everyone messes up, doesn’t completely stop at a stop
sign, or switches lanes before checking, or switching lanes before
turning on your blinker, and I am willing to confess to these
mistakes. But, the difference between myself and other drivers is
that I am willing to say “yeah, that was wrong,” and make an
effort to change. By taking responsibility I am becoming a better
driver, and by recognizing and correcting my mistakes I am becoming a
safer driver. You don’t have to be a perfect driver, because
statistically, you can’t, but you have to be a driver willing to
change and take criticism when it is needed. And those are simply
facts, becoming a better and safer driver is within the grasp of
thousands of drivers, but they aren’t willing to make an effort to
change. The simple stubbornness of people is causing death and
despair to thousands in the U.S. and around the world, and to change
this we must publicly take a stand against it, letting people from
far and wide know that there must be a change, because without it
lives will be lost for nothing- and if there is a change, at least
then they didn’t die in vain.