Click-it or Ticket

Click-it or Ticket

My feet cemented to the gray and black tiles, and my fingers started slipping through my clasped hands. The thick air began suffocating my frail lungs as they attempted to expand and collapse. Inhale and exhale: expand and collapse.

One month prior: A moment, a few passing seconds, turned the serene golden hour skies to infectious crimson ash, brushing away the soft strokes of yellow and orange hues. My grandpa passed the evolving skies with youthful eyes, unconsciously shifting his heavy foot to the brake and the gas of his tired green truck. As he eased his foot on the gas to the street light, the darkness consumed the crimson ash skies, and no stars poked their brightness through the thick haze. When the light flashed green, the greasy brakes voiced a sigh of relief as the truck eased forward.

It is the state of in-between where one’s eyes recognize danger; however, the mind remains paralyzed.

At that moment, time remained still: glass shattered, walls enclosed, and hearts hesitated. With his face pressed against the glass, my grandpa’s tired soul tried to escape as busted blood vessels radiated up his arms, and bones began to snap, but he gathered all his strength to fight. As sirens blared and quieted whispers traveled, the other car abandoned the scene, unbothered.

His death could have been avoided if he just took one second to fasten his seatbelt.

Driver education ensures everyone is safe while navigating to their destinations. With proper knowledge, drivers can understand others’ intentions and the signals scattered on the roads. By ignoring or remaining naive to the laws of the road, death or injury is essentially inevitable.

To reduce the number of deaths on the road, it is vital to recognize the importance of driver education, as without it, student drivers are limited to a guardian’s knowledge. Although parents and guardians often have decades of experience, they may be unaware of specific laws they may be breaking. For example, at least most people in my community continue driving when turning right at a red light. Instead, they continue turning as if the light were green. Additionally, drivers tend to speed. Speed limits are often considered the minimum speed, leading to cars accelerating around ten miles over the speed limit or more. Although adults often wish not to admit it, they do not know all the laws of the road, or they do not follow these rules consistently. Without driver’s education, society relies on drivers who do not fully understand or follow the laws of the road, creating a dangerous environment.

It is statistically proven that there is a 10% decline in car accidents if driver education is utilized. Not only are students now able to understand the expectations on the road, but they are also aware of various safety measures in the case of an emergency. For example, without driver education, how many people know what to do if their brakes stop working while their car is in motion? Would they know to eventually shift into a lower gear and not turn the engine off without adequate teaching? Although the case of an emergency is unlikely, by participating in the course, a person can stay calm and know how to respond to the situation.

Still, however, many people are finding themselves in accidents. With a lack of driver knowledge, poor decision-making, distractions, and driving under the influence, people risk their lives and others. Steps that can be taken to combat these issues include mandatory driver education. With driver’s education, people will be educated on how to drive on the road safely. People can make informed decisions about turning and changing lanes that they otherwise would not have known. Alongside driver education, safety technology is now becoming integrated into cars: backup cameras, alert systems when cars are in blind spots, lane-correcting mechanisms, etc. When people invest in this safety technology, they are reducing their chances of human mistakes. Often, people do not realize there may be another car; however, this new technology makes them aware of the potential dangers. Additionally, since phones have become a necessity, especially for teenagers, they create distracted drivers. When people multitask while driving, they are susceptible to making mistakes that could become fatal. Restricting phone usage will aid drivers to be more aware of their surroundings. The simple task of merely powering off people’s phones can eliminate this distraction and keep drivers’ eyes focused on the road. Lastly, when coming home from a party or a night out, people think they are alert enough to drive after consuming alcoholic beverages. Although they may feel they can drive safely, they often do not have the full cognitive ability to drive as they usually can. To prevent people from driving under the influence, car manufacturers should integrate an alcohol detector to alert drivers automatically and others that they should not drive in their current conditions. Embedding these four pieces of safety into preparing a person to drive will help limit the number of car accidents and fatalities society currently faces.

Steps that I can take to ensure a safer drive is for me not to become distracted by text messages popping up on my car screen. When I see these messages, I look down and click on the message for it to be read out loud for me. Although this action is safer than looking at my phone, the quick instance when I look down to tap the car screen is enough time for me to make a mistake on the road. To prevent myself from becoming tempted by this habit, I will turn off my Bluetooth for my messages do not appear on my car screen. Additionally, I sometimes speed when traveling down similar roads to and from school. If I remind myself of the various accident statistics from driver education due to speeding, I will recognize the risk I am inflicting on myself and others and slow down. For example, more than 33 people die daily from speeding accidents. The statistics alone from my driver’s education will deter me from speeding. Eventually, my actions will catch up to me.

When society navigates to where they need to be, they must do so safely and efficiently. With proper driver education, people can feel safer on the roads when reaching their destinations. Car accidents are currently the leading cause of death in the United States, and this can become a statistic of the past if driver education is utilized to its fullest potential. Even the little act of fastening a seatbelt can help save lives.