An Essay on Safe Driving

The automobile.

A modern innovation, an engineering feat, possibly one of mankind’s greatest creations.

First introduced in 1769, on a steam-powered engine, the automobile went though various tweaks and modifications over the next century and a half. Then, most notably to us Americans, came the Ford Model T in 1908, and thus began an automotive revolution.

Although a lot has changed, in terms of cars, one thing has seemingly remained constant throughout.

That, my friends, is the danger. Even though modern technology and innovation have led to much improved and needed safety measures, cars can only do so much to protect its passengers, and thus, pose an apparent danger to those who board them. This website tells me in today’s era, 34,000 americans die each year in driving-related accidents. Punch that into a calculator, and it tells you that’s roughly 93 people per day. Ninety-three. As I mentioned earlier, tech can only do so much. A good chunk of these driving-related deaths are due to improper or irresponsible driving. That leaves us with a question: What can we do?

Let’s start with driver education. When considering automotive fatalities, driver education is critical to their prevention. The more drivers are educated on proper techniques and their execution, the more safe drivers we will have on the road, and if you metaphorically do the math, this means less accidents, less fatalities, and less tragedies.

What exactly can we do to carry out this process? What exactly can we do to ensure the safety of all drivers? Regulation comes to mind. When referring to safe driving, it seems we have sufficient laws to prevent irresponsible driving, but rules can only reach so far. We are bound to have the groups of rebellious motorists who every now and then break the rules. So, rules have a done a good job, and of course we have the typical advertisements highlighting the consequences of drunk/irresponsible driving, but it seems we can do a little better. For this reason, I am a firm believer in incentives. Punishing reckless drivers is half the battle, but rewarding safe drivers has the potential to significantly cut down driving-related deaths in the U.S. For example, let’s look at Allstate. I’m sure you may have seen the commercials on TV, where they explain a new insurance policy by the name of DriveWise I believe. The point of this policy is to reward safe drivers through cash back, discounts, and even bonus checks. This relatively new program is a fantastic example of how incentives not only prevent accidents, but create safe drivers as well.

Thankfully, I am not one of thousands of Americans that have gone through the loss of a beloved, resulting from a vehicular accident.

Which only adds to the list of reasons for me to ensure that I am a safe and educated driver. Being in the digital age, with every piece of information only a few clicks away, it is easier for me and millions of others to access information on proper driving. The ability to review and learn about the art of driving will only help us. I can become a safe driver, and I can contribute, along with other educated drivers, to slashing the amount of driving-related deaths. While it may seem far-fetched and ironically, possibly impossible, our eventual goal is to get that number as close to zero as possible.