How to Keep Up with the Evolution of Car Accidents

Driving has become an important part of modern everyday life. More people own cars today than ever before, and as more people become licensed, more accidents happen on the road. People are required to take a driving test before they are awarded a license to ensure they understand how to drive, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always be a safe driver. In fact, car accidents have risen greatly in number in recent years. This is a serious problem in today’s society and millions of people find themselves in car accidents every year, with tens of thousands of Americans being killed from such accidents, and thousands more getting injured.

Driver education is extremely crucial to building a society of safe drivers. Drivers must know what each part of the road, be it lanes or signs, means so that they know how to adjust to the information. Driver education also prevents accidents as drivers understand what to do in critical situations. According to a study conducted in 2015 following teen drivers, those who have not received a driver’s education are “75 percent more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident and 16 percent more likely to have an accident.” This shows just how much of a difference education can make in driving; it can prevent fatal accidents or death, therefore some degree of a driver’s education should be mandated before one can receive a driver’s license.

Lack of education is not the only cause of accidents; cell phones present a huge obstacle as they grow to be an inseparable part of society. Drivers have a dangerous habit of checking their phones while behind the wheel, and this is actually the cause of hundreds of thousands of accidents. An estimated 1 out of 4 car accidents in America is caused by texting and driving. Anyone driving a vehicle must remain aware of their surroundings at all times, and as such there need to be stricter laws and more serious consequences regarding cell phone usage while driving. This is a relatively new cause of car accidents as cell phones have become increasingly popular in recent years, and the rise of cell phones has been accompanied by a rise in car accidents as well.

Additionally, older generations of a certain age should be required to take a hearing and vision test in order to renew their license. A lot of older folks have deteriorated hearing and vision, and this is just as deadly a cause of car accidents, since safe driving relies not only on the ability of the driver to pay attention to their surroundings, but on their cognitive and physical capabilities to react to situations in which quick thinking is required as well. According to “Elderly Driver Accidents”, studies have shown that “an increase in age is positively correlated with a decrease in the physical and mental capacity to drive.” Checking one’s senses will ensure they remain safe on the road and not a danger to themselves or others, because as one’s senses deteriorate, so will their reaction times, putting them at further risk for accident. These tests can ensure that drivers on the road have the physical capacity to be safe and minimize risk for accidents.

Driving on the road is very dangerous. I have personally witnessed many instances where drivers were being irresponsible and nearly caused a wreck. For example, I once saw two cars driving alongside each other, and one car tried to get into the other’s lane and blatantly did not look to see if there was a car in that lane; if it weren’t for the other car’s horn, the former would have crashed straight into that car. Distracted driving makes the road a very scary place. Not all wrecks happen accidentally, however: some people just outright ignore the rules of the road. I have seen many cars ignore stop signs or speed through parking lots; too many near-accidents take place in my city alone. People seem to have less respect for the rules, which needs to be addressed in driving laws.

It is extremely pivotal that people take driving seriously. Getting into an accident is no joke. Utilizing safe practices while driving not only protects oneself, but also others. Driver education is one of the most important steps to take to inhibit the number of car accidents in America. Government needs to pass stricter laws as well; civilians must understand the consequences of disobeying the rules. And finally, as a further precaution, a vision and hearing screening should be required to ensure a person has the physical capability to be safe on the road.

Bibliography
– Newman, Ian. “Driver’s Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets.” UNL Today | Newsroom | University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 13 Aug. 2015, https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/unltoday/newsletter/unl-today/55395/.
– Snyder, Edgar. “Texting and Driving Accident Statistics – Distracted Driving.” Edgarsnyder.com, 8 Aug. 2019, https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html.
– Krause, Brooke. “Elderly Driver Accidents.” Fort Myers Car Injury Lawyer Bruce L. Scheiner, https://www.blslawyers.com/elderly-driver-accident.html.