Driving: a Rite of Passage and a Major Responsibility

What does the number sixteen mean to you? To many Americans, sixteen is the year in which we gain the opportunity to drive — and with that opportunity, we begin to expand our horizons. With a driver’s license, the whole world seems to be at our fingertips. And although the idea of being free to travel almost anywhere is thrilling, it comes with serious implications. More than a million people die each year from accidents, with more than 36,000 Americans dying in 2018. Driving may seem like an exciting rite of passage, but it is crucial that we view it as more than that — we must view it as a heavy responsibility.

If accident-related deaths are such a pressing issue around the world, how are we supposed to prevent it from worsening? One of the most important parts of a driver’s responsibility is taking drivers ed courses. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers ed can reduce a driver’s risk of crashing by as much as 50%. Because these courses are so effective in preventing accidents, it is crucial that we make classes more accessible for all drivers. Not all drivers have the means to afford driving classes, and many do not even view it as worth their time. If we promote classes further and collaborate with others to help make them more accessible, more drivers will have the chance to learn important lessons about road safety that would be missed otherwise.

In addition to drivers ed, eliminating distractions and managing traffic can help reduce driving-related deaths. Distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, and dangerous weather are all the main causes of accidents in the United States. In order to prevent these factors from leading to more deaths, we need to implement several methods. Encouraging technology that mutes or turns off phones while driving, using ride shares and carpooling to prevent drunk driving, and carefully monitoring speeding and clearing roads to combat dangerous weather are all different ways we can prevent deaths. But more importantly, we need to take personal responsibility for our driving, not just for others. We need to know how to react to other dangerous drivers on the road, and we need to remain alert and cautious while driving, even if it means arriving at our next destination a little bit late.

I have never experienced a car crash personally, but my family members have. Before I was born, my mother was driving with my older sister, who was very little at the time, and got into a car accident. It is terrible to think that my mother and sister could have been seriously injured or even killed. Driving is a rite of passage for many, but it is also dangerous and when handled irresponsibly, can have tragic consequences. We need to remember that when we take hold of the steering wheel, we hold our own lives and the lives of others in our hands.