The Dangerous Ride

Over 238.2 million people worldwide are stated to be licensed drivers, and more individuals are added to that number every year. However, the impact these people can have on the lives of themselves and others must be further taught before they should gain the opportunity to drive on the road. Road crashes are statistically proven to be the leading cause of death, in the United States, for civilians aged 1 through 54; moreover, most of these collisions can be prevented by removing a single factor, ignorance. Obviously, the media has pushed the narrative that driving intoxicated, without a seatbelt, or overall recklessly is dangerous, yet many people continue to ignore this because “it could never happen to [them]”. By enforcing the importance of driving education before, and during, one’s driving life, crashes could be significantly reduced and many individuals could be spared from the implications of dangerous driving activity.

Education itself has been proven to change people’s beliefs, so why should driving education be any different? Many states already dedicate a great deal of information to driving safely in order for individuals to obtain their licenses. However, after they receive them, there is no longer importance placed on maintaining safe driving techniques. The only recurrent idea pushed on the drivers of America is to not drink and drive. Albeit driving while under the influence is the leading cause of driving-related fatalities, there are still many more causes that can lead to serious effects. If the United States were to place more urgency on other factors that contribute to detrimental crashes, more awareness would be spread, and fewer people would die.

Furthermore, there are specific steps that people should take to reduce the number of driving-related fatalities. First, education about the different stimuli for fatal crashes needs to be readily available to everyone. Examples like billboards, public service announcements, and even a more in-depth unit in driving classes should all become more apparent in everyday life. Second, all insurance companies need to provide a higher incentive for safe driving techniques. Most companies monitor a driver’s acceleration, braking speed, and turns in exchange for some sort of premium, but by altering the discount based on safety procedures, more people would drive safer. For instance, a person who rarely brakes hard, or does sharp turns would receive 20 percent off of their bill, for that month, while another individual, who does the opposite, receives a 20 percent increase in their bill. The last step that could be implemented to reduce the number of deaths related to driving accidents would be to introduce driving reports. Basically, if a passenger witnessed a person ignore driving safety they could send an anonymous tip to authorities, in order to prevent that person from doing so again. Admittedly, this step would have to be heavily monitored and tracked for false reports, while also making exceptions for certain cases where the dismissal could be negated. All three of these steps can reduce driving-related deaths by furthering the visibility of safe driving techniques, offering incentives for people to drive more cautiously, and allowing for first-hand accounts of one’s safe driving.

After discussing the importance of driving safety, it feels necessary to share a personal experience. At a young age, my family and I were involved in a serious car accident. We were driving along the freeway when the car in front of us slammed its’ brakes, causing us to collide with its rear and completely total our bumper. Luckily both parties came out of the crash alive, and with no serious injuries except for a deep scratch on my neck from my seatbelt. Looking back on this crash almost 15 years later really helps to remember that my life is not always guaranteed and I need to always be aware of the cars around me, and how I drive. If neither drivers, nor passengers, had been wearing seatbelts during that accident who knows if we would have all come out safely. In all honesty, it makes me so thankful that everyone had done the correct procedures while driving because our lives could have ended that day.

After recounting how I feel about the importance of driving education, and how a car crash has changed my perspective on driving, there are a few steps that I take that help me and others to be safer on the road. To start, I always ensure that whenever I am in a car everyone is wearing their seatbelt properly; especially when I am the one driving. By doing this I know that if we do happen to become involved in a collision, everyone will be safe. Another step I take is always turning on my blinker before switching lanes or turning. There have been a number of crashes because a driver did not know that another driver was trying to turn or get in front of them. Using blinkers is just another easy way to stay safe on the road and keep other drivers aware of my next move so they can adjust accordingly. The last step that I do to keep myself and others safe is to always share my knowledge. If my friends or family are doing something unsafe whilst driving, I make them aware of it. Even though this could be categorized as “backseat driving” it is always better to be a little annoying than to be involved in a preventable crash.

Overall, driving education is extremely important and needs to be taught to people of all ages at multiple times in their life. By enforcing the rules of the road, fewer people per year will die because of crashes that could have been prevented. Whether one chooses to drive safely because of their knowledge of dangerous activities, insurance company premiums, or their own personal experiences, all will help reduce the number of driving-related deaths. Now one must ask themselves, are you participating in a dangerous ride?