Driving at Its Worst

You are driving down the quiet streets of Malibu at night, a little tipsy from the tequila you were gulping a minute ago. You think to yourself: it can’t get any better than this. The sand clings to your feet and your hair is still wet from the beach. That is until you have to enter the bustling urban streets at the heart of the city to arrive back at your hotel room. Still disoriented from the alcohol, you crash.

An obstacle constantly overlooked in the US: car fatalities. The seriousness of this problem is always disregarded by reckless drivers when they think “It can’t happen to me” until it finally does. At this moment, a car has probably already crashed, with an average of 14,386 car accidents per day, or one crash every 6 minutes. Since, 2020, the statistics have only skyrocketed with 2,282,015 injuries reported in 2020. Globally, a whopping 1.3 million car accident fatalities happen each year.

Now it isn’t to say that car fatalities are the sole fault of the driver. There have been many cases where car companies have lawsuits for issues within the car such as a malfunctioning motor, but the main reason why car accidents happen to a driver is due to irresponsible driving. Sadly, the group most targeted for car accidents is young adults aged 15-29. This is understandable because adolescents may crave that experience of adrenaline and undoubtedly engage in more risky behaviors.

However, bystanders are quick to blame everything on a driver. They and myself included, are quick to think “Why would the driver ever risk themselves like that?” or “That would never happen to me, I’m just better than that”. The sad truth about high probable accidents in young adults is that they were never educated about driver’s safety, and even if they may have engaged in some type of learning, this learning was not constantly reinforced in their minds. Many car-related injuries and deaths can easily be preventable if driver ed programs were more accessible to everyone, not just the drivers. This is important because if both the passenger and driver know the situation they are getting themselves into before entering a car, they can better prepare themselves for a likelihood of an accident if the driver is in the wrong state of mind to drive.

Luckily, I have never been in a situation with distracted driving, but I am close friends with someone who ended up in the hospital due to a car crash. I remember how badly this incident had affected her and the dark truth that the situation could have ended in a life lost. Living in New York, one of the busiest cities in the US has had its perks, but it also makes me scared of getting into a car accident. Although I am not legally allowed to drive just yet, I always take the risk whenever I hop into an Uber or sit in my parents’ car. So many taxis, truck drivers, and angry drivers are all fighting to make it to their destination. As either a pedestrian or drivers, we have to realize that we cannot change the decisions others make, but what we can do is control our actions. We hold the power to control what we do and to know our limits. If we can distance ourselves from the distractions and temptations of irresponsible behaviors, we can influence others and even generations to come.

Thus, it is imperative that driver-ed programs are implemented in more places, not just in wealthy neighborhoods. In fact, financially unstable drivers are more likely to get into car accidents due to the inability to afford driver’s ed training. As a solution, more driver’s ed programs can be selected to receive state funding and be discounted based on individuals’ financial situations. If state governments prioritize Americans’ safety over dedications of funds, many car fatalities will inevitably decline, with a safer country emerging. In addition, schools should either make driver’s ed courses more rigorous and use techniques shown to make students better drivers. If more programs are offered in school, student drivers will not have to make a hassle to go out of their way and pay for driver’s ed courses, separate from school.

However, both efforts would be time-consuming. Prioritizing funds for driver’s ed starts with individuals who initiate petitions to advocate for government funding. Most importantly, the key to saving a life starts with you. You can be the change. As a student, I have many years to come where I may experience a car-related crash, but if I educate myself and others on safe driving, I have the potential to make an impact.