The Importance of Being Safe Behind the Wheel

Gabriel Short

In the Driver’s Seat Scholarship

November 30, 2020

The Importance of Being Safe Behind the Wheel

Being educated on how to be safe and responsible while in the driver’s seat is of paramount importance when it comes to reducing the number of casualties that occur on the roads. In 2019, it is estimated that 38,800 people lost their lives in car accidents; the worst part is, the majority of these terrible losses could have been prevented. There are steps that can be taken in order to make sure that our roads are safer for the people who travel on them, and our state and local governments have already began taking certain precautions when it comes to drivers’ safety. Some examples of the steps that have already been taken are the illegality of texting whilst driving, driving with your seatbelt unfastened, and driving for over 14 hours in one day (truck drivers). While these recently implemented laws have done great things for our roadways, there is always more to be done. We have only scratched the surface when it comes to regulating drivers’ actions behind the wheel. I have personally experienced the aftermath of a car accident with the case of my mother. She has chronic pain in her neck, as well as all throughout her body, due to a spinal injury that was a result of getting rear-ended by a drunk driver. This event could have easily been avoided as this man had had previous run-ins with law enforcement officers; if the punishment that should have been ordered, had actually been given to this man, he would not have been on the roads at the time that my mother was. While this was a terrible event, and my mother’s physical and mental condition will never be the same, I am fortunate enough to say that I have been luckier than others. In this day and age, car accidents are a much too common occurrence. The institution of laws and regulations that control what drivers are permitted to do while operating a vehicle, such as the ones that have already been put in place by state officials, are crucial in the reduction of the tragic losses that come as a result of these accidents. One thing that could potentially be changed is the process of getting one’s license renewed as it is far too simple. If this license is how we gauge whether or not an individual is a safe driver or not, renewing it should require the person to demonstrate that they still have a full understanding of what is considered safe and dangerous while behind the wheel. One way in which we could do this is by having the person take a written test that presents them with an assortment of scenarios in which they are to respond with whether or not the driver was at fault. Even if this is not how we go about ensuring our drivers’ safety, we need to continue to crack down on road safety laws as this is the only way that we can continue to lower the number of deaths that occur due to roadway accidents every year.