We All Have Families To Go Home To

Driving is an everyday part of life. If we need to get somewhere, we simply turn on the ignition and go. However, it often doesn’t occur to us when we turn the key and pull out of the driveway just how much responsibility is in our hands, and how much potential danger there really is. We control hundreds of pounds of metal capable of going over 100 miles per hour on roads where hundreds of other people are doing the same thing, yet, we don’t fully grasp that concept every time we get in the car. Because we have a great responsibility not just over our own lives, but the lives of others, driver’s education is vital in the protection of human lives.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the estimated number of fatalities due to motor vehicle traffic crashes projected in 2021 alone was 42,915 people (NHTSA Media). This was almost an 11% increase from 2020 and was the highest number of fatalities since 2005 (NHTSA Media). This statistic alone demonstrates just how many people can be affected by driving mistakes, which can often be avoided by receiving a driver’s education. Drivers Ed provides learners with comprehensive training in all of the basics of driving, whether it be who has the right of way, what different signs might mean, or how to navigate safely on unfamiliar roads. While some of the things taught may seem like common sense, it’s crucial to go over all of the basics, both to reaffirm what was already known and to teach those who may not have been fully aware of that characteristic of the road. Drivers Ed also stresses the importance of not participating in potentially dangerous practices that may not seem harmful at first, such as looking down briefly at your phone or looking out of the side window for too long while navigating the roadway. These practices are presented alongside injury and fatality statistics to convey the severity of the situation. If that doesn’t get the learner’s attention, then the genuine and heartbreaking stories that are shown throughout driver’s education courses certainly will. Watching family members relive the serious injury or death of their loved one is a gut-wrenching experience, but, ultimately, it affects the reader enough for them to be mindful of their actions while driving, as well as cautious of the actions of other drivers on the road.

As amazing and effective as proper driver’s education is, it can’t be the only countermeasure we take against reckless or unsafe driving practices. When people first receive their license, they are often between the ages of 16 and 18, not to mention those that receive a permit at 15 years old. Putting this responsibility on a teenager is already a risk, as teenagers are more prone to make irrational decisions due to their brains undergoing major changes. Additionally, their brains won’t be fully developed until the age of 25, leaving a potential nine years of irrational behavior that they aren’t fully in control of. If we truly wanted to make the roadways safer, we would raise the driving age significantly, especially considering that people within the previously mentioned age range are more likely to get into accidents. However, seeing as this may be unrealistic today, other countermeasures would serve as great reducers of roadway fatalities. Those who have already received a driver’s education should be required to renew that education at a minimum of every five years. Earning a license as a teenager leaves a very long time for people to forget important aspects of their driver’s education throughout their lifetime. A required renewal of their license would ensure that the safety practices and statistics presented throughout driver’s ed would stay fresher in their minds. It would also be beneficial if we eliminated drivers’ number one distraction: cell phones. A feature on all phones could easily be created to limit the driver’s phone capabilities when the car is in motion. Things such as the emergency call would still be functional, but texting and other apps would be unusable as long as the driver is on the road. If a call needed to be taken, a driver should have access to a Bluetooth device built into or connected to the vehicle to ensure both hands would still be on the wheel.

Although everyone understands that driver safety is important, its significance is often most felt by those who have experienced the consequences of reckless driving either via their own experience or through the experiences of loved ones. My mom was in a brutal car accident a few years ago. After being hit by another car, her SUV rolled multiple times in the crash. She had to be cut out of the car by emergency services and taken to the hospital. The car was completely totaled, and the damage looked like it should have caused more serious injuries. When my dad called me, I couldn’t even let myself think about how bad my mom was doing, because if I thought about that, I was worried what I was thinking would become real. My mom had to have surgery on one arm and still has severe back pain to this day, but she was lucky. Had she been in a different car, I don’t think she would still be here, and my sisters and I would have had to learn to live without our mom. Every time I think about what that future could have been like, I’m reminded how lucky I am that it isn’t the life I live now. It’s driver’s ed programs and safe driving habits that make sure more people don’t live that life, and I’m grateful that the gravity of situations like these has made going through driver’s education to get a license law.

Because of my mom’s crash, I just don’t use my phone when driving. If I have an important message to send, I either get my sister to send it or wait until the car is stopped. But even at a red light, I’m wary of using my phone for anything because it distracts me from paying attention to my surroundings. If my phone is on when driving, it’s because I’m either using the GPS. If I need to answer a call, I can just connect my phone to the Bluetooth feature in the car. If I’m in the car with someone else while they’re driving and they need to send an important message or take a necessary call, I offer to send the message for them or call whoever they need. I’m also sure to pay attention when in the passenger seat just in case the driver misses something in their blind spots. Additionally, I always make sure that everyone in the car is wearing a seatbelt, even if we’re only driving somewhere five minutes away. Another thing I can do to improve my safe driving skills is to be more mindful when I’m in a hurry. Being late for something is never an excuse to endanger my life or the lives of others because, at the end of the day, being a few minutes less is infinitely better than being responsible for an accident.

When it comes to safe driving, we can all work to improve our safety practices. Whether it’s consistently using turn signals, putting your phone out of arm’s reach, or refreshing your memory on the important aspects of driver’s ed, we can push ourselves to be safer on the road. Sending that quick text or running that red light won’t be worth it when you’re the reason someone didn’t make it home to see their family. We all have lives- places to be, and families to go home to; be respectful of everyone’s lives, including your own.

Bibliography

NHTSA Media. “Newly Released Estimates Show Traffic Fatalities Reached a 16-Year High in 2021.” NHTSA, 17 May 2022, www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/early-estimate-2021-traffic-fatalities.