It Takes a Village to Raise a Safe Driver

“They finally added a four-way stop,” I noted as we drove through a normally busy and unsafe intersection.

“There was a bad crash last weekend,” My mom quietly replied. “Some kids your age died.” I noticed flowers and a cross on the corner. Unsafe driving affects everyone. It affects those who are in the accident, their families, their friends, the workers who have to clean up the damage, the neighbors who hear about it, and the city officials that should have added two more stop signs before three high schoolers died. Safe driving is something that I care about, especially for youth and inexperienced drivers. I have younger sisters who are just learning to drive, and now, more than ever, my eyes have been opened to the importance of safe roads and educated drivers. There are several ways that we can create safer driving environments.

I’m not afraid to admit that I’m pretty attached to my phone. We all have that instinct to pick it up when we hear it ring, whether or not we are busy with something else. In a car, this is dangerous. As smartphones continue to develop, it would be beneficial if more phones automatically go into a “do not disturb” mode when in the car. However, the most effective tactic is to encourage all to drive undistracted with both hands on the wheel at all times. It is imperative that a driver is attentive to the road, even when music, conversations, or technology is present. This is something that needs to be emphasized in school and driver’s ed courses especially.

Along with not being distracted, being aware and following road laws is vital to being a safe driver. Knowing the rules of the road may seem basic, but it’s the basics that are needed to build other safe driving skills. Looking for pedestrians, checking blind spots, paying extra attention in traffic, and signaling are all important, sometimes overlooked aspects of driving. In my hometown, winters are pretty bitter, and around mid-December, the roads are usually wet and icy until March or April. Around this time, I constantly remind myself to be aware and give extra space in between cars. This is a lesson that stuck with me when one early morning, a big, rusty truck slid into the back of my sedan. I got out to talk to the driver in the frigid weather and learned for the first time what to do in an accident. And the worst part? I was in my pajamas.

I’ve found that the main things I remember from driver’s ed were stories. Of course, I remembered that you can turn right on red and the difference between a yield and a stop sign, but the things that stuck were stories. The video of the teen girls who went from partying to flipped upside down. The anecdote of the man who hit a motorcycle on the way to a job interview. Those kinds of stories are terrifying, fascinating, but most of all, memorable. If stories can be implemented more into driver’s ed, it can help create new generations of cautious and caring drivers. Videos are wonderful resources, but stories and anecdotes from real people have the best effect. Teens especially find it hard to imagine themselves in a serious accident or causing long-lasting harm from driving home drunk. Stories like this help open their eyes to see that they aren’t invincible, but they can take steps to be safe.

Statistically, over 10,000 people every year die due to drunk driving. We all know the dangers of drunk driving, yet, it is still a prevalent issue. Individually, adults of legal drinking age should be responsible when they drink, planning ahead on how they are going to get home. It might even be helpful to have signs in bars reminding customers to plan for a sober ride home and include QR codes that lead to websites like Uber and Lyft. Parents should strive to create trusting relationships with their children so that if they do get drunk, they can feel safe calling their parents instead of worrying about getting in trouble.

Lastly, petitioning local governments to create safe roads is an important responsibility. Back country roads are my favorite to drive on. I love driving fast and enjoying the beauty of wide open fields. But, far too many times, I’ve seen incidents like the one mentioned earlier where actions weren’t taken until after someone’s life was. Back roads can become very dangerous in the winter or at night, and often two-way stops with unlit stop signs aren’t safe enough. It is the responsibility of the citizens driving the roads to contact or petition city officials and make others aware if possible. Additionally, it is the responsibility of those in government positions to make wise decisions that protect the general public.

Safe driving is an essential part of a safe community. There are always going to be accidents and crazy drivers: that’s just human nature. However, intentional action from educators, politicians, parents, and individuals can help create a society where people are educated about driving safety and actively choose to be safe drivers.