People Can Be Idiots, So Drive Safely

Most people do not know how to drive a car.

It sounds odd, but it is true. How many people die each year in plane crashes, or in train derailments? Very few. Why so many automobile fatalities, then? Most people do not know how to drive. They do not understand the potential to kill their vehicle has, or how they are responsible for hundreds— if not thousands of lives— each day they go for a drive.

If people fully understood every single minutia of a car, of how dangerous a car is, deaths would plummet. People would be aware that that light on the dashboard means the car is about to explode, or that if their breaks lock up, what to do in that scenario. They would be less likely to drive distractedly or impaired. Joyriding and speeding would be stigmatized, and not seen as wholesome fun at best and minor misbehavior at worst. As is the case with many problems, if people were more educated, the problem would diminish.

To reduce automobile fatalities, the only person one can affect, is the person in the mirror. One can raise awareness, petition for legislation, inform friends and family about the danger, but at the end of the day, only the one in our reflections can ultimately enact change. By following common sense, the law, and the rules of the road, one can make a significant impact in the world in a very small way.

The word limit forbids me from including every instance of friends or family driving irresponsibly, but in brief, I shall say that I have seen texting while driving more times than I can count, talking on the phone while driving, driving under influence of mild alcohol, driving without seatbelts, riding on the hood of the car— the list goes on and on.

What can I do to be a better driver? It is a depressing fact that I can be the greatest, safest, most legal driver on the road, and still be the victim of a car crash; such is providence. What I can do is pay extra attention to signs wherever I go; avoid using my phone while driving, even just to play music; follow all traffic laws (that includes stopping at stop signs and using blinkers!); and drive at or slightly under the speed limit. I can also know my warning lights and pay close attention to anything my car does out of the ordinary. With these simple, small steps, I can increase my safety while driving tenfold.

Drivers ed is absolutely essential in preventing traffic deaths, yet is often lacking or forgotten— as a plethora of anecdotes make clear. By taking relatively small steps on a personal level, the road can be made a far safer place.