Not Just Your Life

One of the leading causes of death in young adults are automobile accidents. According to the CDC website, approximately twenty eight hundred teens between the ages of thirteen and nineteen were killed in the US by accidents involving a motor vehicle in the year 2020. These numbers could be greatly reduced by stressing the importance of drivers ed and driving safety. The CDC describes eight “Danger Zones.” Three that stand out are: Distracted driving, drowsy driving, and reckless driving.

We live in a digital age where the need to always be connected has become perceptually greater than safety. We are in such a rush to read and answer that text, regardless of what we are doing, that we risk our lives to do so. A 2019 study found that 39% of US high school students admitted to texting or emailing while driving. In 2020, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 3,142 people had been killed by distracted driving. If reminding teens that they could die from distracted driving doesn’t change it, perhaps it is time to start reminding them who else they might kill.

Who hasn’t pulled an all nighter to cram for an exam or taken a long road trip after not getting an adequate amount of sleep? A study by the NHTSA found that 633 deaths occurred as a result of fatigued driving. In 2017, it was estimated that approximately 91,000 police reported crashes involved a drowsy driver. It is hard to estimate exactly how many auto related deaths were the result of drowsy driving, however, it has been said that driving drowsy after being awake for 24 hours straight is comparable to driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.1. To put that in perspective, the legal limit for most states in the US is 0.08.

Perhaps the most horrifying statistic of all is that, according to the NHTSA, there were 11,258 deaths resulting from the reckless behavior of speeding. This behavior is so common, especially in our fast paced world. It is incredibly sobering to see such a high number and realize how easily anyone could become part of this statistic. Driver education helps students understand that it isn’t just their life on the line when they engage in such reckless behavior. It forces students to really look at the consequences of such dangerous actions.

The CDC lists eight danger zones for teen drivers, the very first one listed is the lack of experience behind the wheel. Ideally, one way to combat this is enclosed driving ranges. Students should gain real experience on a driving course before they drive on an open road with other people. Another thing that might help is driving simulators similar to what they use for aviation and battlefield training. Student’s won’t engage in reckless behavior when the teacher is sitting right there next to them, but if they go into a simulation, it’s like a video game and they will demonstrate reckless behavior similar to what they would in the real world.

When I was fifteen years old, I was in an accident with my mom where I totaled her car. I was turning left up by the USANA Amphitheater and this 63 year old man came out of nowhere and hit us in our rear quarter panel. My mom and a pedestrian had both waved for me to go ahead and make my turn. There was more than enough distance for me to have made the turn safely. The other driver hit us with such force that our car spun one and half times.

Inexperience can be a double edge sword because neither the law nor my experience behind the wheel were on my side in this situation. I was fifteen years old and the law in Utah states that if you are making a left hand turn, and it results in an accident, you are at fault for failing to yield to oncoming traffic. My mom had a heart attack and her car was totaled. Additionally, the legal system was saying that it was my fault. Drivers ed should not be a one and done, I would say that every 10 years it should be legally required for an individual to retake the course or at the very least a safe driving course.

I can encourage safe driving through my actions by demonstrating it. I can decrease potential distractions by turning my phone off behind the wheel. I can allow myself rest breaks on long drives and make sure that I get plenty of sleep before driving. I can watch my speed and give myself plenty of time to get where I am going. I can also set a good example by not getting behind the wheel when I am on certain medication or under the influence.

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey/danger/index.html

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving