Stop in the Name of the Law

As my mom often “says”, “DOES ANYONE EVEN KNOW HOW TO WORK A FOUR WAY STOP?!?!” She proclaims this in frustration (and maybe a little road rage), but I remember holding a grieving mother in my arms, wondering what would be different if everyone had been educated. “Blowing through” red lights and stop lights causes an astounding 45% of car collisions (according to the Federal Highway Administration). The mother was a victim of one such case. It is presumed that the opposing driver was unaware of the red warning light that offered caution before the collision. This distracted, uninformed driving scenario may have caused a young boy his life, shortly after he had achieved “double digits”. It is not an unusual occurrence at the emergency department I volunteered at that summer. Especially in my rural area, that one section of a single hospital is the only viable lifeline for critical victims of distracted driving tragedies.

Fortunately, however, this dilemma has a simple fix. A wide selection of internet sources are available to teach readers about the laws and sense of the road. Most state Department of Motor Vehicle offices have plenty of low cost educational tools for anyone that can not access the internet. A third option is to have a trusted family member or adult friend teach you. Yet another is to opt for a local drivers’ education course or receiving private lessons from a licensed instructor. This option may even save the driver money on their vehicular insurance policy! Once drivers are aware of how driving works, they must simply keep their eyes on the road. French fries, cell phones, and arguments may seem important in the moment, but educated and informed drivers should recognize that those things will be available later, given you drive sensibly and prolong your life.