Driver Education and Safety

Driver education plays a vital role in preventing driving-related deaths by keeping drivers informed and teaching drivers situational awareness. When in driving school, information is given about the risks of distracted driving, intoxicated driving, and having overall awareness while on the road. According to 2013 statistics, every year, more than 40,000 people die in car accidents. (Car Accident Statistics 2013, Talwar) Lack of adequate driver education is most likely the cause of the great number of car accident-related deaths because lack of knowledge can lead to mistakes or people doing things in the motor vehicle that are unsafe and result in injury or death. In some states, it is much easier to obtain a driver’s license over the age of 18 without going through the full driving course than it is for drivers under the age of 18. This means that drivers obtaining a license over the age of 18 could be less educated about the risks of driving than those who have gone through the full course.

Steps that can be taken to avoid accident-related deaths include defensive driving, be predictable, remaining sober and undistracted, and take all safety precautions while inside the vehicle. Defensive driving means using strategies that minimize risk while driving. These strategies can include remaining aware of surroundings, allowing cushion space in between other cars, being independent of other drivers, and keeping your speed below the limit. Defensive driving strategies will not only keep you safer, but it will keep drivers around you safer as well. If safety doesn’t sell you on defensive driving, the decrease in vehicle maintenance costs should!

Being predictable also goes hand in hand with defensive driving. While driving, to do something completely out of the ordinary or unpredictable is to drive unsafe. Being predictable can include breaking smoothly when slowing down at a light, driving the speed limit, and using turn signals appropriately. Remaining sober and undistracted is a big part of being safe on the road as well. Distractions while driving could include eating or drinking, listening to loud music, or engaging in phone calls and texts. All of these things can compromise the ability to keep a clear focus on the task of driving.

Fortunately for myself, I have never been in a serious car accident, but my father has. My father’s injuries were the result of someone who was not focused on safely arrive at their destination. Not only was the person who caused the accident texting, but they ran a red light and did not practice defensive driving techniques. These poor decisions made while driving resulted in my father’s car being flipped and wrapped around a pole. Because of this accident, he was left with spinal injuries and nerve damage and was quite frankly lucky to b alive.

In brief, everyone can tweak their driving habits to make themselves and others safer o the road. I, for example, can lessen the distractions around me by no longer eating while behind the wheel and turning down the music playing in the background to gain a clearer focus. There’s always something that can be changed for the better in every situation, including driving safety.