In The Driver Seat

Fatalities while driving have been rising across the nation. Last year alone, 42,915 people lost their lives to car crashes and is at a 10.5% increase according to Michael Wayland of CNBC. As a country we are in a crisis. But the continuous question is why, and how do we fix it? This crisis starts with all drivers, and starts the national conversation about educational driving. Not only by consuming this information ourselves, but by sharing it with friends and family. The more people are aware of safe driving, the amount of fatalities will decrease dramatically.

Driver’s education on the road is very important, as a vehicle becomes a weapon when driving. The amount of fatalities from accidents is on the rise again since 2011, with a new average of 34,000 deaths a year according to DmvEdu.org. That is more than what was lost in the Korean War overall, and that lasted about 4 years. When you are in the driver’s seat, you are in control of your life and everyone around you. The importance of correct driver’s education is a direct result of this. The current incoming generation of drivers behind the wheel are a result of Covid-19 learning. That is including myself, as I did not have any other option but to have lessons online. It does start with proper education, online learning is not the same as in class learning, but the online classes and improper learning is not the only thing to be blamed for the rise in fatalities while driving.

The steps that can be taken to reduce fatalities are more than can be listed. The main one being distractions. In Drivers Ed, we are told that the more people we have in the car, the more at risk of a crash we are at. You are 44% more likely to get into an accident with just a single passenger, and that increases as the passengers increase (Tefft, Williams, Graboski, 2012). This is because it is more than likely a distraction for inexperienced drivers, and why GDL, standing for graduated drivers license, is implemented to restrict new drivers on times they can be out and how many people you can have in the car. Though, that 9 months of limiting passengers is not the only thing that is distracting drivers. Being distracted is the number one cause of fatalities while driving. These distractions include people, children, and most commonly, phones. Texting or calling while driving has been preached about since cell phones came out and still to this day is one of the number one causes of death while on the road. Being followed is influenced or intoxicated driving, poor weather, reckless driving, speeding, and running lights. Other than poor weather, which is only responsible for 5,000 fatalities a year (Department of Transportation, 2022), these unsafe driving habits are fully preventable by the driver. In conclusion, putting the phone down, keeping our emotions in check, following road signage, and being self aware of alcohol or drug consumption beforehand can help save more lives than your own. My friend Ben Chadwick and a family friend Kate Marty did not have that choice.

It was Independence day weekend, the Stoughton fair was going on the day of July 2, 2021. My good friend Ben Chadwick had just picked up his two friends to go show their cattle that day in honor of the Marshall FFA and Schlimgen Farms. It was about 5 am, and he was at a stop sign waiting to turn. As he decided to turn, he was suddenly hit by a large pickup truck. Ben was pronounced dead on scene. Even with Ben being an aware driver, unfortunately the truck that was driving was not. The driver was expected to be speeding as the speed limit was only 40 MPH though a lot of details are unclear since it happened so fast. Ben passed at the age of 16, and his funeral filled all the seats of the high school gym of family and friends. Ben unfortunately would not be the only one to become a victim of fatal accidents in my life.

Kate Marty was enjoying her first weekend of summer break with her best friend Brynlee Lauersdorf. They did not live that far, but both lived out in the country. Like most people in Wisconsin do now, they drive their UTV to each other’s houses. Kate had just picked up Brynlee from her house when Brynlee’s mom reportedly heard a crash outside. She went outside to inspect to see her own daughter stuck under the UTV as it had gotten hit by a pick up truck, and the UTV was on fire. Brynlee’s mother was able to save her child, but Kate was pronounced dead on scene. Both the girls were only 14 and 15 years old, just getting into high school. It is unclear what exactly happened, but we could speculate the truck may have been speeding or distracted as the accident happened on the side of the highway.

Being a safe and defensive driver saves lives. Everyone who passes is someone’s somebody: a wife, father, mother, daughter, brother, the list goes on. It is important that when people are in the driver’s seat they are fully attentive to what is happening around them. To prevent fatalities, listening to the laws of the road will help a lot, along with keeping our emotions in check. Maybe even ask ourselves, is it safe for me to get behind the wheel? Laws and regulations have been made by the state and national government to keep us safe, now it is up to us to follow through. But not also keeping us in check but others as well. If someone seems to be recklessly driving, may that be swerving, excessive speeding or way under posted speed limit, do not refrain from pulling over and reporting them. This can save so many lives, and so many people will be able to have another night with their families.

Citations

Grabowski, J. G., Tefft, B. C., & Williams, A. F. (2018, June 15). Teen driver risk in relation to age and number of passengers. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://aaafoundation.org/teen-driver-risk-relation-age-number-passengers/

US Department of Transportation. (2022, July 26). How do weather events impact roads? How Do Weather Events Impact Roads? – FHWA Road Weather Management. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/q1_roadimpact.htm#:~:text=Weather%20Impacts%20on%20Safety&text=On%20average%2C%20nearly%205%2C000%20people,weather%2Drelated%20crashes%20each%20year.

Wayland, M. (2022, May 17). U.S. traffic deaths reached a 16-year high in 2021, according to Government estimates. CNBC. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/17/us-traffic-deaths-hit-16-year-high-in-2021-dot-says.html