What is Better?

What is better? Watching a loved one suffer for years with an illness and slowly die but getting too tell them good-bye OR getting a phone call that a loved one was killed instantly in an accident? This is a question that is actually posed frequently in my home. My brother died at the age of 18 after a four year battle with cancer. We knew he was dying, he suffered a lot, but we got to tell him what we wanted and capture memories with him knowing he was dying. I watched how his death wrecked my family and myself. This experience of watching my sibling die has truly affected how I perceive driving. I was truly afraid to start driving. The thought of having an accident and my family not getting to tell me goodbye terrified me. I knew I had to get over this fear and the only way to do that was to make myself a promise, to be a responsible driver, and to get driver’s education.

Research has proven that teens taking driver education are less likely to be involved in crashes or to receive a traffic violation during their first two years of driving  Teen crashes and fatality rates are highest at ages 16-18, these reductions are especially meaningful. Driver education appears to make a difference in teen traffic outcomes at a time when risk is highest.” Drivers education helps new drivers learn the skills that are essential to the safe operation of a car. Taking a drivers education off of a trained driving instructor is your best opportunity for proper driving skills. Not having a driving instructor to teach you driving is like having a ski instructor trying to teach you piano or a French teacher teaching a Calculus class. Driving instructors are trained on how to teach the driving laws and techniques required to properly operate a car safely and skills that may help a driver maneuver his or her way out of an accident.

There are many steps that can help reduce the amount of deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents. I believe the number one reason for car accidents is distracted drivers. Many state departments of transportations have created laws, especially for new drivers, to help reduce the amount of distractions that could interfere with a new driver’s concentration. Many states do not allow a driver under the age of 18 to drive with a car full of friends. Many state laws state that a teen driver is only permitted to drive with one non-relative in the vehicle. I believe this has had a huge impact on decreasing distractions from inside the car to allow the driver to concentrate and not be socializing. Cell phones are also a distraction to drivers of any age. The advances in technology have also helped in allowing drivers to not be as distracted with cell phones. Cell phone functions such as the “do not disturb” features that do not allow texts or calls to come in while driving are critical. Hands free options through car bluetooth connections have also been an assistance in allowing the driver to keep their eyes on the road while staying connected for a phone call or following a GPS without needing to look at their handset. Apps that allow parents to track their children while they are driving is also a helpful technology tool that influences teen drivers to drive safer. The idea that their parents are watching them encourages teen drivers to slow down and not to travel places on unfamiliar roads they were not to go on. 

Of course there are events that happen while driving that can lead to accidents that are not caused by distracted drivers such as a deer running onto the road or a mechanical problem with the vehicle. This is again a reason that driver’s education is imperative to a teen learning to drive. When an animal runs into your path onto the road our natural instincts are to swerve, but to do that could cause the driver to hit another vehicle in the other direction head on or strike a tree. Driver’s education teaches you to respond by not swerving because a deer or animal moves much easier than a tree or cement barrier. Striking the animal is less likely to cause fatalities compared to striking another car or immovable object. Drivers education also teaches the basics of car maintenance safety to assure that the driver is aware of the necessary maintenance checks on the vehicle to assure it is safe to drive. Checking tires, windshield wipers, headlight and taillight function are all aspects of driving that can assure your car is safe to drive by performing simple checks anyone can do if properly taught what to look for. The condition of your windshield wipers and tires are important especially when driving in winter weather. Winter weather and heavy rain are weather conditions that can affect your vehicles response. Learning to properly operate a vehicle in these different road conditions in yet another important aspect of drivers education and crucial for reducing accidents caused by weather road conditions. 

I have been involved in a few very minor car accidents as a passenger, mostly involving deer running into our path of travel. I can remember one particular time that I was in a car with a friend and was afraid for my life. Fortunately we only traveled a short distance to another friend’s home and made it there safely.  I made an excuse as to why my mom needed to pick me up and secretly texted my mom so I did not have to ride in the car again with her. Teens are going to find themselves in situations where they feel unsafe, whether it is being at a party where there is drinking or drug activity, or being in a car with a driver they feel unsafe with. I have an agreement with my parents that if I were to text them our “safe” word, they would come and pick me up, no questions asked anywhere at any time. Having safety measures in place like this is an example of measures teens can take to prevent being in an unsafe car situation.

Setting good examples as a driver, following safety laws and restrictions set for young drivers are measures that can be taken that will improve your own safety as a driver as well as encourage others to be safe drivers. If you are riding with another driver do not participate in activities that could distract the driver. Likewise, if you are the driver do not allow your passenger to distract you while driving. These are all important points instilled in drivers education in addition to the actual operation of the vehicle because there is so much more involved with driving safely than just getting in and going!

Research and studies for driver’s education has shown that the drivers who had taken a driver’s ed course were involved in fewer crashes: 11.1% of the driver’s ed group, as opposed to 12.9% of those who hadn’t taken a course, had been involved in a crash. At the beginning of this essay I asked the question “what is better?”. With more driver education, safety awareness and teen driver restrictions the hope is there will be significantly less families that will have to ask themselves that horrible question related to fatal car accidents.