In the Blink of an Eye…

According to the CDC, “ There are more than 32,000 motor vehicle crash deaths in the US every year, and about 3,000 of those are from distracted driving.” This number is still way too high. Some of the major factors of those deaths are not using seat belts, driving under the influence, reckless driving, and overall uneducated drivers.

A big key to reducing the amount of accident related deaths per year is having the right education for a driver. In addition to this, drivers education courses should be mandatory for all people before they get their driver’s license. Even though most kids learn how to drive with their parents, there are gaps in this type of training when it comes to laws and the evolution of the roadways. Driving schools have many years of experience when it comes to teaching someone how to drive, educated and confident. Many people choose to complete driving school through an online course which puts the student through a series of lessons and assessments in order to get their driver’s license. However, the most effective way for kids to learn how to drive is through an in person driving course with an instructor in the passenger seat next to them. This shows the student how to properly and safely drive a car in real world practice instead of learning how to drive from a computer. Having educated drivers will greatly decrease the amount of deaths in our country, and make our roads safer.

Some other steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is to ensure the use of seatbelts, and end drunk driving. Drivers should be wearing their seatbelt every time they are in the car no matter how short of a trip. According to the CDC, “ Seat belts saved over 12,500 in the US in 2013, and about half of the drivers who died in crashes weren’t buckled up.” This statistic emphasizes the need for interventions aimed at the use of seatbelts. Police officers are allowed to stop someone to make sure they are wearing a seatbelt and give them a citation if they are not, but they do not enforce it often enough. There are about 10,000 deaths from drunk driving in the US per year. People need to take certain steps before they go out to drink or even drink at all in order to prevent the need to drive intoxicated. Arrange a plan before you go out to drink so that you don’t have to worry about it. Looking out for others when they are drinking is a good way to prevent drunk driving, and reminding them not to drink or when they have had too much to drink make sure they have a safe ride home. Today, there are so many options like Lyft and Uber to ensure that those who may be under the influence make it home safe. There are many laws in place for drunk driving which are effective, but the US should use a lower blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to determine if someone is driving drunk. “ US, Canada and the United Kingdom define drunk driving as BAC levels at 0.08% or above; all other comparison countries use lower BAC levels (0.02-0.05%),” says the CDC. This proves that since we have a higher percentage of drunk driving in the US compared to other countries we need to lower the BAC levels. Ensuring the use of seatbelts, and reducing drunk driving will greatly impact the number of deaths related to driving.

Most accident related deaths besides drunk and uneducated drivers are actually from distracted driving. According to the CDC, “About 3,000 people die in crashes involving a distracted driver every year.” This number is very high, and it makes sense because I see it almost every day. A lot of times when I am riding in the car with my family and friends they are accepting calls while driving, texting people, and changing music on their phones. These are all examples of distracted driving, and even though they might think that it is fine to check their phone really fast, it is not. In the blink of an eye, many lives can be impacted. The loss of a child, age 14, with their whole life ahead of them. A mother’s personal injuries ranging from broken ribs, both legs and severe abdominal injuries. Months of surgeries, mental health care, legal repercussions as well as coping with a loss that is unbearable. Another young boy who was critical, but will make a full recovery. This happened last week to my mom’s childhood neighbor. A result of texting and driving on a major highway in Michigan. When my mom shared this with me, I thought of what I do when I am driving that could lead to this. One major act that I do when I am driving is changing the music on my phone. I am usually changing the song or playlist on my phone, and that makes me look away from the road for more than a couple seconds. The story that my mom shared with me shows just what can happen in those couple of seconds. Eliminating the use of phones while driving will make a major impact in decreasing the number of accident related deaths.

The reason many people drive intoxicated or distracted is because they are uneducated and truly believe it will not happen to them. Drivers should have to take a continued driver’s education course even after they get their license as a constant refresher on the correct way to drive. This course can also be a refresher on the dangers and laws of drunk and distracted driving, in order to educate people of the consequences they will face if they commit those acts. This could have a major impact for reducing the number of accident related deaths by having educated drivers on the road.