Driving down the road to a better future

34,000. That is the number of lives that are taken prematurely each year due to car accidents. 34,000 faces that will never smile again. 34,000 people with no second chance. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among adolescents in America. This can be contributed to poor drivers ed and reckless driving. Proper drivers ed that covers all the risks associated with being on the road is needed to ensure the safety of everyone on the road. Driving under the influence claims many lives but, could be completely avoided with proper education. Required Drug and Alcohol safety courses can teach young drivers how to make the right choices and ensure the safety of themselves and others.

For one, I think that continued drivers ed should be required if we ever want to reduce the number of driving related deaths. Since more often than not, kids will study for/cheat on their permit test which does not set them up for a solid driving foundation. In Florida, our road test consists of a few practice maneuvers in a parking lot. Combine this lackluster road test with the poorly maintained traffic safety quiz and you get unsafe drivers. A federal driving test would need to be implemented since each state should not be operating individually. In addition, traffic laws vary by state which also may relate to the high number of deaths-people simply aren’t aware of another state’s traffic laws when traveling through them.

I have never been in a car accident but unfortunately, I lost my uncle to one several years ago. I am not sure of the nature of the accident but, I do know that he died in the hospital from his injuries. That is why responsible driving is such an important cause to me. No one should have to go through the pain of losing a loved one to another’s recklessness. Teenage drivers can also be extremely reckless with school parking lots being a frequent site for accidents. I know many people who have gotten their cars dinged in the parking lot because of the actions of impatient, careless kids. Rush hour is a war zone, with hundreds of students trying to leave through a single exit. This is a familiar scene for high school students across the country.

To be a safer driver, I can start by eliminating any distractions while driving so I can fully focus on the road. I can encourage others to do the same but, at the end of the day, I can only be accountable for my own actions on the road. We are taught to share the road however, some people find that hard to do. Luckily, technology is coming to the rescue of many irresponsible drivers. Cars are the safest they have ever been with most new models coming with a variety of safety features such as cameras, automatic braking, auto pilot, and many more to make the state of driving the safest it’s ever been.