Changing the World One Mile at a Time

According to the Global Road Safety, “crash injuries are estimated to be the eighth leading cause of death globally for all age groups and the leading cause of death for children and young people 5-29 years of age. More people now die in crashes than from HIV/AIDS.” There are many types of dangerous driving habits such as speeding, texting, sleeping, failure to stop when necessary and following too closely to other cars. All of these examples can lead to fatal crashes or deaths. New drivers are most likely to be involved in these incidents. Fortunately, there are multiple approaches that every driver can take to make the roads a safer place for everyone.

Drivers education is defined as a course taken to show new drivers safety techniques on the road and traffic laws. Although driver’s education is not mandatory, I believe that everyone should take this course. Teens who participate in driver’s education are less likely to be involved in car accidents. This will also result in fewer deaths related to driving. Teens are more aware of their surroundings on the road by taking the proper precautions to maintain the safety of themselves any other passengers on the road. Websites such as dmv.org or driversed.com provide both online and in-person drivers ed services.

I believe there are multiple driving principles that everyone should follow in order to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. First, drivers should never drive while they’re under the influence of any kind of drug. Impaired driving is not only a crime that leads to license suspension and jail time, but also increases the chances of someone being involved in a deadly inicident. Drugs are depressants that cause people to pay less attention to the road because of symptoms like dizziness or fatigue. Although it is not most common, road rage between drivers has resulted in death. Sarah Burd-Sharps and Kathryn Bistline have researched statistics to prove that a total of 728 road rage incidents involved a gun. 62 percent of these incidents resulted in someone getting killed or injured. Driving can oftentimes be stressful, but maintaining a calm attitude and staying away from drivers who display aggressive behaviors is a great strategy to prevent road rage scenes.

In 2020, I experienced my first car accident in Philadelphia. There was a traffic jam on the highway and the driver of the car was following too closely to the car in front of her. Once the driver pressed the brakes, the car behind us hit the back of the car. This accident could’ve been avoided if each car would have followed one another for a minimum of 3 seconds. Recently, I have witnessed a few of my family members’ bad habits while driving. Many of them use their phones while driving instead of stopping in a much safer place to use them. Others eat or apply makeup while driving which could cause them to lose control over the steering wheel.

As a new driver, I realize the importance of road safety and drivers education. I believe that planning ahead for events or appointments I need to attend to is the best way to practice time management. It is always best to leave around 10-20 minutes earlier than I usually would. This prevents me from speeding or rushing to arrive on time to any plans I may have. My safety as well as the safety of other passengers in my car is prominent, therefore, I will always make sure that everyone in my car has properly put their seat belts on before driving. I will remove distractions that can cause me to multitask while driving. Using the “do not disturb” feature on my phone and stopping at a safe area to eat is a better way to ensure that I maintain my eyes on the road at all times.

In conclusion, the amount of deaths related to driving has increased within the past several years. Drivers all around the world have developed distracting habits that put them at a high risk of being involved in an incident with other drivers. Speeding, eating, texting and driving under the influence causes drivers to be unaware of their surroundings and leads them to dangerous incidents. New drivers can take a drivers education course to build strategies that will help for the rest of their lives. Practicing time management and patience with others will encourage teens to become more successful drivers as time goes on. Other drivers that witness this behavior will be impacted and could decide to display the same safety precautions in the future. Most importantly, the amount of deaths across the world will be reduced. If you and I unite and help spread awareness to other drivers, the road can become a less dangerous place for everyone. How are you making the road a safer place for your friends, children, relatives and other drivers on the road?