You Could Be Next

It’s a perfect evening. The sun is setting and the wind is blowing just enough to grab hold on a few leaves, stirring them around in a circle. A group of friends have just walked out of their favorite restaurant downtown laughing and smiling. They comment on how good the food was and find themselves enjoying each other’s company. Down the street, a man walks out of a bar, clearly controlled by the alcohol that moves within his system. He reaches his car, staring at the door handle, and contemplates his next move. He gets into the vehicle, turns it on, and starts to drive down the road. He is convinced that he is perfectly fine. The group of friends look across the street at an ice cream parlor. What better way to end the night? They look both ways and check to make sure that the crosswalk indicates they can go. While walking across, the man driving the car comes out of nowhere speeding. He doesn’t realize that the light is red. One friend was walking too slow, or maybe, he was just too fast. Then, they meet.

While this story is my own product, I can guarantee that an incident similar to this one has happened before. Deaths as a result of driving is, unfortunately, a common trend among our nation and continues to take away our people. It seems as though the endless attempts to warn people to wear their seatbelt, to put their phone down, to find an Uber instead of driving intoxicated don’t work. To most, these things dont even matter until it is too late. Until it is their family member or their friend who is killed. We have to stop waiting until we come too close to death or, even worse, meet him to start making changes. This is why driver education is one of the most important factors that can help reduce these deaths.

Because I took my driver’s education course before I got my license, along with an extra defensive driving course, I can confidently say that I have learned things that have made me a safer driver. These courses aim to educate individuals on the general rules of the road, laws, and what to do during certain situations on the road. For example, I learned that you should not drive with cruise control when the roads are wet. While this statement seems obvious to some, to most this idea never even crossed their mind. Imagine how many people who died from driving on wet roads with cruise control would still be alive today if they were aware. This is the point of driver’s education: awareness. Learning how to drive in different weather conditions, how to properly identify aggressive drivers and what to do when near one, and when you shouldn’t drive are all examples of topics that are typically covered in these courses. The more people are aware, the less people will die from car-related deaths.

The question then becomes: how do we reduce the number of deaths? I believe that there should be more mandatory driving courses before getting a license and even after. My defensive driving course was not required, but I think it would be beneficial if it was. Likewise, I think that every 10 or 20 years, drivers should take another driving course just to be sure that they won’t forget how to drive safely. We would need to consider that these are hard-working adults with very busy schedules, so the course should be offered online and they should have up to one year to complete it. If there needs to be a less structured method, there should be a drastic increase in advertising for both driving courses and safe driving in general. For example, there’s a highway where I live where there are giant signs with messages like “Arrive alive!” and “The message can wait!”. Everytime I read one of these signs it reminds me how much of a responsibility driving is. Another way to advertise safe driving includes creating and mailing out informational brochures. I think all of these methods would help reduce the number of deaths.

I have many friends who have been in car accidents and that fact alone just magnifies the idea that car accidents are very common and can affect anyone at any time. I also know people who drive irresponsibly by being intoxicated or using their phone. To help others become safe on the road I remind them to put their phones down or to slow down if they are driving too fast. If I had a friend who was out partying and I knew they were drinking, for example, I would either drive them home myself or offer to call them an uber. I believe if everyone aims to remind others to drive safely, then the number of deaths would decrease drastically.

Driving is a privilege and because of that, we should take it upon ourselves to take advantage of this privilege responsibly. Every time you make the right decision or influence good behaviors while driving, you are possibly saving someone’s life.