The Dangers of the Casual

As humans, we often seek out the bogeyman, killer clowns, apocalypses, and more to give us a “freight.” We feel the need to seek out these thrills when we can simply find them by just existing. The things we take for granted, the things considered ordinary or routine, are the things that can be the most dangerous. Driving is one of these things.

Some say if we don’t teach history, then we’re damned to repeat it. The same can be said about driver education. If the terrible car-related injuries and deaths weren’t reported, an average consumer wouldn’t know how to protect themselves from falling into the same situation. On an even smaller, more preliminary stage, teaching student drivers what specific signs and signals mean ensures that at least necessary steps were taken to equip them with the skills to help protect themselves and others.Though drivers may still choose to drive distracted or dangerously, proper education is a way to secure the future safety of drivers genuinely looking to do the right thing while driving. However, education is just the first step towards lowering the number of driving related deaths.

Further measures can be found in attacking one of the biggest tumors within this issue– distracted driving. Whether it’s as small as a quick look down to change music or adjust car temperatures or as big as texting or drinking while driving, these situations can all end in the same scenario: death. A solution to this is providing more true rest stop areas. Not just gas stations where people stop to buy snacks and relieve themselves, but true rest stops. Driving long distances can make someone’s mind go numb due to the boring nature of sitting for long times, therefore, providing more spaces for people to go on walks and get their blood flowing can help in turn, increase driver attention and concentration.

Another step or consideration that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving can be found in what surrounds the roads. Though I am firmly against deforestation, I believe that it would be wise to put a barrier of bushes or softer, more forgiving plants around roadways that are surrounded by trees. The truth of the matter is if there’s a car versus a tree, the tree almost always wins. Therefore, if there’s some sort of more forgiving barrier, in the unfortunate circumstance that a car runs off the road, this can increase the rate of survival without entirely taking away from the beauties and intricacies of nature.

To further compound the idea that driving-related scares, injuries, and deaths are not a foreign concept, I can testify that although I’ve never been in a car accident, I’ve witnessed those in positions of power driving irresponsibly. Watching parents miss every stop sign, refuse to use their signals, and tell their kids that seat belts aren’t necessary is quite disheartening. It’s hard to make the right choices when reared in an environment that promotes the exact opposite. Nevertheless, I can’t let the shortcomings of my authority figures stop me from doing better in the future.

My father has always told me that driving is mostly a game of trust, trusting that others will follow the rules and value life as much as I do. Though there seems to be so much chance in this everyday activity, there are still choices I can personally make to help promote a safer environment on the roads.

Using my signal and following directions on the road are the more simple and straightforward answers, but I can do better than that. Following the “unwritten” laws of the roads are also critical for providing a mutualistic scheme. Only driving in the left lane to pass and actually being more courteous to student drivers are some of these “laws” that I choose to abide by.

Even though I don’t like doing it in more scenarios, being willing to call for help whenever I see someone else doing something dangerous not only protects myself, but also others around me. Calling in a suspected drunk or distracted driver may make me uncomfortable, but a few moments of discomfort will never outweigh the importance and fragility of human life.

It takes a team to keep our roads safe. In the truest form of the phrase, everyone is tasked with sticking in their own lanes and must follow through with that. The truest and most reliable way to make the roads safer is for everyone to not only drive with themselves in mind, those behind the wheel around them. It’s not a hero that will solve driver related deaths but instead good people choosing to do good things.