In the Driver’s Seat

Kyra Gregoire

In the Driver’s Seat

Driving is a great privilege that empowers the individual. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. That statement could not be more true about driving. Driver education is critical for new drivers making them fully understand what the consequences could be of driving recklessly. Driver education reduces the number of deaths as a result of driving by teaching new drivers how to be safe. It is structured to create the most cautious drivers possible. The weather this is through showing videos of that can happen and the horrors that come from it or giving general information. These two tactics almost scare the drivers into wanting to be cautious and giving them the means to do so. Driver education is the most important thing to reduce driving-related deaths.

Even though it is required to take some sort of driver’s education before getting licensed, other measures can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving even more. First of all, when driving, it is a good idea to not have your phone near you. Or set up a system that sends a message to anyone who is trying to contact you while you are driving, saying that you are driving. This will help reduce the number of deaths because many accidents occur because of texting and driving. Another large contributor to deaths from driving is drunk driving. One way this can be stopped is by having a breathalyzer attached to all cars. The breathalizer would check to make sure the driver is sober, allowing them to start the car, and drive safely. In conclusion, those are just two things that can be done to reduce reckless driving, and in turn, save lives.

Texting while driving and drunk driving are the biggest offenders of deaths related to driving, however, driving irresponsibly can still case deaths. Driving irresponsibly is sadly a common thing, and many people have stories about this. I have never gotten into an accident but, I am scared to ride in a car with some of my friends who are driving. Whether that means they were checking their phones while driving or speeding. If possible, I try not to ride in their car when they drive. Even though my personal story related to reckless driving has not ended in anything tragic, I have still been scared to be in a car. Many others suffered a worse fate for the same reasons.

To make driving safer for everyone, I can do many things. I can continue to keep my phone on silent and away from me when I drive. If someone else is driving and their phone goes off, I can offer to look at it and respond so then the diver does not have to take their eyes off the road. Also, if I see they are speeding I can ask them to slow down. Finally, if I know if my friends or family are not sober I can either offer to drive or make sure someone else drives who is sober. All in all, I will continue to urge the ones I love to do these things, to make sure everyone stays alive.

In the end, everyone must become a safer driver to reduce the death toll. By following what I listed above, everyone can be safer.