The Importance of safe driving

Did you know that approximately 32, 719 people die in motor vehicle crashes every year? These deaths are caused by several things, but the main reasons are either because the driver is distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. We as a society need to figure out a way to reduce these deaths. There is no reason a person’s life should be ended as a result of another person’s driving.

When I’m riding with my friends, the driver will sometimes get on her phone, send a text, or whatnot. This is a great example of an operator who is committing an act of unsafe driving, a crime even. I have also given in to the urge to check my phone while driving, it is quite common these days. About 660,000 drivers in the United States are using electronic devices while driving at any given moment. Taking your eyes off the road for even a couple of seconds could cause you to crash and could end your life or someone else’s. There are many ways a diver can be distracted, not just because of phones. They could be talking to another passenger, daydreaming, or just eating is considered distracting. This is very true; I was distracted while eating one day and it caused me to back into a dumpster. Which was all my fault for getting distracted. I have been in a couple car accidents in my lifetime, but most of them happened while I was behind the wheel. A couple months after I first started driving, it was raining heavily one day. After I dropped my sister off, I drove right into a pole in a parking lot. For one I couldn’t see very well, but the main reason is because I wasn’t paying very good attention to my surroundings. I’m just glad no one was harmed in the process. It happened again, when I was driving with friends out of town, I was laughing and not watching the road when I ran over a curb, in the most awkward way possible. My car wasn’t damaged or anything, but it was super embarrassing.

It is against the law to drink and drive or while under the influence, this involves a blood alcohol content level of at least 0.08%. Even though it’s very well known that it’s illegal, people still do it. Alcohol-impaired drivers got behind the wheel of a car about 147 million times in 2018, according to the CDC. Having just one drink can impair a driver’s ability to think clearly, that’s why it’s important to stay completely sober if planning to drive.

When young adults are getting prepared to take the written driver’s test, every source available focuses on driving safely and the rules and regulations. But after that, after they secure a license the importance of safe driving is no longer talked about, not until something tragic happens that reminds people of the seriousness that comes with driving. It needs to be discussed; it needs to be imprinted into the minds of every driver in America. For this is the only way to greatly reduce the number of deaths caused by driving, to protect the well-being of everyone.

I propose all drivers be required to revisit motorist education. Everyone with a license will have to take a mandatory class at their local driver examination location every three months for driver safety, which they will have to pay for. I believe this could be vital to lower the number of deaths caused by driving and to make all drivers knowledgeable of the consequences of unsafe driving and how to be a successful driver. In addition to the class, all drivers are required to take an exam after the class to make sure they have paid attention. There are other ways to reduce the number of deaths but educating drivers is the main one.

Roads are unsafe, we all know this, but let’s dig deeper into why they are. Roads wear down over time, so that means road workers are constantly redoing them. The money earned from the mandatory drivers ed classes will offer more money for the roads, to help them become safer. They generally focus on the main roads that are used the most, thus most roads are left alone and forgotten about. Those will just get worse over time and cause damage to vehicles and may cause wrecks or worse. There are 4.09 million miles of roads in America alone, there is no way that every inch of those roads can get the care they need to be declared “safe”. Even when the roads are having work done, the construction workers are now being put at risk. They’re being there interferes with the usual traffic and could cause an accident.

I know increasing drivers’ safety awareness could never fully end deaths caused by driving, but I am positive it could reduce the amount greatly. Seeing that, the earlier these classes are put into place the safer driving can be for future generations.