The Driving Matter

While incredibly convenient, and often necessary in our world, driving can be a very dangerous thing; if done without proper care, that is. That being said, it is vital that drivers are educated, not simply through experience, but through education, on the dangers that accompany driving. This education must occur even before they’re sitting behind the wheel and their foot is on the gas. A failure to educate prospective drivers will ultimately lead to unsafe roadways.

Increasingly frequent, highway fatalities in the United States kill just as many, if not more, each year than those killed during some major wars. What makes this even more concerning is that the most common causes of death related to driving consist of preventable accidents. For instance, drivers get behind the wheel drowsy or impaired, and as a result of their altered state of consciousness, are unable to make logical decisions. Many impaired drivers cannot remain focused on the road, and as a result, their driving becomes dangerous not just to themselves, but to those around them as well.

I’ve said and will continue to say it time and time again, but if you’re not being a safe driver for the sake of others, be a safe driver for yourself. When one gets behind the wheel impaired or reckless and ends up injuring, or even unintentionally killing, unsuspecting passengers, and manage to survive, they must live with the resulting guilt of their actions. They must live with the guilt of taking the life of a person that someone loves, and will never be able to hug or speak to again. 

Just today, my mom sighed with disappointment as she read the headline, “Eighteen-Year-Old Dies in Car Accident.” No one deserves to have their life cut short like that, especially when the death is preventable. Unfortunately, such news is delivered each day; more and more people are informed that the life of their loved one was taken by the actions of an irresponsible driver.

In order to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving, drivers must be educated on the dangers associated with driving. More importantly, they must be informed on what they as an individual can do to prevent potential accidents, in order to ensure the safety of themselves and others on the road. This information can be acquired through a driver’s education program, or in a careful review of the DMV Driving Manual for their region, both of which are suggested, if not required in most regions, for new drivers. For regions that don’t already have requirements in place, they should implement legislation that requires such review. If all drivers are required to familiarize themselves with such content, they will enter roadways more informed, ultimately promoting roadway safety.

I personally have never been in a car accident, although my family has. On my twelfth birthday, I was at a friend’s house, and I can remember my friend’s mom calling me into the kitchen to let me know that my parents had gotten in a car accident on their way home and would be late picking me up. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries, however, it left me with an immense amount of anxiety regarding my own and my family’s safety when driving. If the accident were more intense, I may have lost the people that I love most, on my birthday nonetheless. As scary as it may sound, even safe drivers can get in accidents, as it only takes the mistake of one reckless driver to cause an accident.

As a new driver, it can be daunting to get on the road, knowing the possible dangers that lie ahead. To ensure my own safety and that of my passengers, I divert my undivided attention to the road ahead when driving, and urge others to do the same. Thanks to the driver’s education course I took, I consider myself informed, and carry with me an understanding of the dangers associated with impaired and drowsy driving, and what I can do to prevent them. As a result, I don’t put myself in a situation that would promote impaired driving, nor will I get in a car with a driver who is impaired.

Considering the fact that millions of people travel millions of miles each day, it is our responsibility, as a society to make roadways as safe as possible. Though they can reduce the impact, no amount of seatbelts or airbags can protect drivers or passengers from the prospect of an accident. We must prevent driving-related deaths before they even occur, and this can be made possible through driving education programs.