On A Dark Desert Highway, Cool Wind In My … CRASH!

Driving is an essential part of life, but car crashes, statistically and anecdotally speaking, have become a common tragedy. So much so that in the 1960s, Andy Warhol shook the art world when he silk-screened the front page news image of a fatal car accident, not once, but fourteen times. Similarly, John Chamberlain’s “crushed car” sculptures remind us that driving can go from a mode of transportation to scrap metal in the blink of an eye. The good news is that car accident fatalities have declined by an incredible 78 percent since 1960. What accounts for this auspicious trend? The advent of seat belts, headrests, and airbags are in part responsible for an improvement in car safety. However, all these gadgets mean nothing without proper driver education.

Driver education is vital in reducing the number of deaths related to driving. Despite the decline in driving-related deaths over the decades, in 2020, over 38,000 people in the U.S. still died in motor vehicle accidents. The main culprit for these crashes? Human error, plain and simple. The importance of driver education lies in the fact that it teaches student drivers responsible behavior and promotes safe driving habits. By educating drivers on the proper use of safety equipment and teaching practical skills to respond to various road situations, driver education can significantly reduce the number of accidents and fatalities on the road.

Today, young drivers are plagued by endless distractions, which, sadly, do not vanish behind the wheel. Whether selecting the perfect playlist, FaceTiming with their crush, or checking how many “likes” they have on Instagram, many teenagers are glued to their phones, their attention divided while driving. As driving + screen time is a deadly combination, driver education needs to explore the psychology of phone addiction to address how to combat this so-called “screenager” pandemic.

So many times I have witnessed a friend, a sibling, or dare I say, a parent, texting or scrolling through an app while driving. What are strategies that drivers can use to stay focused on the road? Use the drive as an opportunity to find your zen, to focus on the here and now, to live in the moment: in other words, YOLO. The technology that I earlier said was a curse can actually be a blessing – the wonders of Bluetooth! For directions, Airplay or “voice on” can be used for hands-free navigation. The phone can be placed out of reach to avoid the temptation of glancing at it, even for a second, as a second is all it takes to make a fatal mistake. To prevent more collisions, driver education must tackle these modern dilemmas head on.

Outside of the highly critical driver education, other measures can be taken to reduce the number of driving-related deaths. One such step is to enforce stricter laws and penalties for driving under the influence. Substances impair a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely, increasing the risk of accidents. There is a lot of discussion around drinking (alcohol) and driving, but with the accessibility of marijuana in different forms comes a greater responsibility to debunk myths about driving while “high”. There needs to be more extensive research on the effects of marijuana on driving and specific legislation to address it.

Implementing harsher penalties for reckless driving is another solution to combat these shocking statistics. For example, in New York, it is a traffic violation, punishable only by a $100 fine, for a driver to talk on a cell phone while the vehicle is moving, unless the driver is placing an emergency call. The law has slowly been catching up to the times, allowing the issuance of tickets for infractions, such as texting while driving. There can also be legal consequences for aggressive driving behaviors, such as road rage, which endanger other drivers as well as pedestrians.

Another important movement toward road safety is to improve road infrastructure and invest in technology that promotes safety on the road. This includes the installation of traffic lights, speed cameras, and other safety measures that can help reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents. The ubiquity and automation of traffic enforcement, such as red light cameras or speeding signs in school zones, serve as a deterrent for potential offenders. It also allows the better use of resources toward more serious issues in the world of traffic safety, such as vehicular homicide.

Chances are that someone you know has been in a car accident or knows someone that has. I had my personal wake-up call when my best friend got into two car accidents within two months, totaling her car, needing stitches on her face, and sending her family into thousands of dollars of debt. The worst part? She wasn’t even at fault. It was scary to think how much is out of our control when we are on the road. I realized that driving is a task not to be taken lightly, that the best thing I can do to stay safe is to be alert, to be “on,” to give 100%. So much of driving is the choices we make before even getting in the driver’s seat. I have to be honest with myself – am I tired or off in any way that could impair my ability to pay attention? If yes, I know not to cross that line. By setting that example, I can hold my family or friends accountable for safe driving behavior without judgment or drama. Instead of just trucking along, I now see driving as my chance to tune in with myself, the world and to get where I’m going. In this way, driver education has the power to teach so much more than just driving.