In the Driver’s Seat

We have a duty to promote safe roadways for ourselves, our loved ones and our community. Transportation affects each of us, whether we are stuck in rush hour traffic, taking an Uber® to an appointment, or having an order delivered by Amazon®. When we apply a three-pillared approach focused on education, prevention, and community involvement, we can reduce driving-related accidents and deaths, creating safer and more conscientious drivers, and a safer world for all of us.

Education is the first of three pillars in which a knowledge base and awareness are promoted, coupled with supervised hands-on training to improve the experience of the new driver. According the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a driver education program is an important component of the graduate driver licensing system, which has been shown to reduce teen accidents¹. The University of Nebraska – Lincoln conducted a study of more than 150,000 teen drivers, over an eight-year period. They found a correlation between new drivers completing a driver’s education course and fewer ticketed moving traffic violations, alcohol-related violations, and car accident injuries and deaths².

Prevention is the second pillar, focused on mitigating risk for the driver and everyone else on the road. Prevention is a multi-faceted approach and consists of insuring that the vehicle receives scheduled maintenance and performing a walk-around inspection to determine proper functionality of the vehicle’s safety equipment before each use. Simply checking the tires for the correct air pressure, performing a visual inspection of the windshield for cracks or pits, and a functional check of the headlights, brake lights, and turn indicators, can help to improve the chance of the driver returning home safely. In just a few minutes, these simple checks can benefit everyone. The safety conscious are provided with the confidence of knowing their equipment will work properly. The economically-minded will save money on fuel economy and reduce maintenance costs attributed with improper tire inflation, as advised by the NHTSA. The practical person will be assured that their signals will communicate properly, reducing miscommunication with other drivers, and lost time and money associated with law enforcement “fix it” tickets.

The responsibility to mitigate unsafe driving practices does not rest with law enforcement alone. The final pillar, community involvement, is vital. We have all witnessed or known someone who has been affected by unsafe driving, from an accidental distraction, to a preventable tragedy, caused by negligent behavior. Driving is a privilege and the expectation is that when a person gets behind the wheel, they need to act professionally, obey the laws, and be a responsible driver. Each of us has a duty to set a good example and be good ambassadors of the road. When we see something, we need to say something. Our actions, both in the way we drive and treat others that abuse this privilege, are critical.

Through education, prevention and community involvement, we can reduce driving-related accidents and deaths. Safer and experienced drivers, mean a safer world for all of us.