An Awareness of the Power of Motor Vehicles

In the United States, mainstream media seems to glorify reckless driving. With movies like Fast and Furious and television shows depicting characters getting behind the wheel after knocking back a few beers, the bad examples become inescapable. These poor role models plastered on our TV screens can have harmful effects on today’s society. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure safe driving among new and old drivers alike.

One of the most effective methods is driver education. While some driver’s ed courses may differ in states across the U.S., one portion of the course is vital to emphasizing the importance of safe driving: showing the implications of unsafe driving. Videos depicting what happens when people do not wear their seatbelts (i.e., becoming projectiles within the vehicle) can stick in a person’s mind. Photographs exhibiting the aftermath of texting while driving also serve as powerful tools to show people what can happen when they are unsafe behind the wheel. Statistics, charts, and graphs are very important to present during driver education courses. However, students may not take these one-dimensional presentations as seriously as other forms of media such as videos and photos.

To use these methods to reduce the number of driving-related deaths, these videos, photos, and statistics should be shown in driver education courses nationwide—not just corrective courses such as those people are instructed to take after receiving a traffic violation. Additionally, teachers and parents alike must teach that driving is a privilege, not a right. Too often people feel entitled to wielding a 3,000-pound machine that can go upwards of 100 miles per hour. Just like any other dangerous machinery such as forklifts and cranes, cars require a skilled person behind the wheel who takes the task at hand very seriously. Driving cars is not only a privilege, but a massive responsibility.

Fortunately, I am lucky enough to have only been in one fender bender. I have never been in a seriously accident, although I know people who have. Furthermore, I have seen my mother drive recklessly with a phone in one hand and a coffee or mascara in the other. Sometimes, because of her claustrophobia, she refuses to wear her seatbelt. Having seen the dangers of unsafe driving from an early age, I always had a great respect for the power of motor vehicles. I decided when I was old enough to drive, I would not condone such reckless behavior. So, when the time came and I got my license, I made everyone in my car wear a seatbelt—including my mom. In one instance, she refused to buckle up even after the car had started moving. Frustratingly, I turned on my hazard lights, pulled over to the side of the road and waited until she obliged to the rules of the road. She was not thrilled about this, but eventually she got used to it. I hope she still wears her seatbelt to this day.

Although it has been years since I first sat behind the wheel of a car, I will continue to practice safe driving wherever I go. This is especially important now because I currently live in Japan. In Japanese cars, the steering wheels are on the right side of the vehicle and cars drive on the left side of the road. The road signs are completely different from ones in the United States and the speed limit is measured in kilometers rather than miles per hour. Moreso, the number of bicyclists, motorcycles, and pedestrians on congested roads is sometimes incomprehensible. Drivers must constantly be on the lookout for hazards and distractions that are not often seen in America.

To ensure I continue to be a safe driver, I have enacted several rules within my tiny Japanese car. First and foremost is alertness. I remain alert by keeping music volume low and frequently checking all my mirrors. Second on my list is upkeep. I always make sure my car is ready before a long trip. I change the oil, check the tires, and of course stock up on a full tank of gas and have cash on hand for any tolls and expenses I might accrue along the way. Lastly, I take my time. There is nothing more important than arriving to my destination safely and making sure everyone around me is safe as well. I give myself plenty of time so I am not in a rush, and I never make rash decisions on the road. All in all, these rules will continue to come in handy no matter which country I find myself in next.