In the Driver’s seat

Save lives. Hold your attention focused and keep your eyes on the road. The unimaginable can happen in a split second.

While driving, we make many choices and these choices have consequences. While driving, we are in charge of not only our safety but the safety of others too. How can we make our driving prudent?

Driver education is simple but have a huge impact. It teaches several skills, norms, attitude and respect. Proper driver education can lead to safe driving habits that can reduce the number of deaths related to driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2021 there was almost 43000 fatalities from motor vehicles accidents up 10% from 2020. Can we avoid these fatalities? The answer is absolutely. Driver education have several benefits. It can teach the driver the rules of the road, instruct basic mechanical knowledge about vehicles, provide awareness of the impact drugs and alcohol can have on drivers and can reduce your insurance costs

Every day, more than 200 million people’s lives are affected by driving. Most motor vehicles accidents are preventable. Several steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving: 1) All passengers need to wear their seatbelts, get the habits of buckling up as soon as you get in the car. In 2020, according to the United States Department of Transportation, 51% of passengers’ vehicles occupants who were not wearing the seatbelts properly were killed. 2) Do not get behind the wheel if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 29 deaths every day in the United States that involve a driver under the alcohol influence. If you are impaired or under the influence of a drug, have somebody else drive. 3) Do not speed. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2020, speeding was a contributing factor in 29% of traffic deaths, killing 11,258 people. 4) Assess risks and watch out for other drivers. Preventative maintenance can keep your car operating safely. 5) Put your phone away. Avoid distractors like cell phone, friends, and food. In the United States, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 people are killed every day in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver. Teenagers, like me, are involved the most in texting while driving. 6) Be careful during bad weather. During inclement weather, drive slower, turn on the lights, and go easy on the brakes to better control the vehicle. 7) Be adherent to lane driving and leave plenty of space between you and the car in front. 8) Assume pedestrians are everywhere. 9) Be alert and share the road with cyclists. Finally, 10) look for hazards, brake lights, and turn signals.

I have never been in a car accident but one of my friends has. Seeing her laying in the hospital bed, in the Critical Care Unit was a shock for me. All the noise, the tubes, the lines, and the monitors made me stupefied. She had a tube in her mouth connected to a ventilator. The nurse told me that she is sedated. Confused, here I am, having a flash back of all the memories we had together. Apparently, it was a huge accident. I asked myself: Was she texting? Was she talking on the phone? Was she checking her account on social media? Was she speeding? Was she sleepy? Was she wearing her seat belt? Will she wake up? Will she be ok? Was all this avoidable? For nights I had nightmares. Thinking about her and about her parents. Thinking about her life after the accident, the sequelae, the immeasurable burden on her family. After going through a couple of surgeries, she had a long recovery. Months in the hospital and several in the rehabilitation center, my friend froze her life for almost a year.

Education is the most powerful weapon to reduce motor vehicles deaths. To be a better driver, I need to complete the driver education lessons and get as much as practice driving as possible. Before driving I need to adjust my seat, select my music, read my e mail, and answer texts. While I am driving, I need to eliminate all distractors and I shouldn’t multitask. I will pull over if I need to reach something. I need to obey to the speed limit as speeding is a major factor in traffic deaths. To be a better driver, I must be aware of my surroundings and have the right attitude.