Alert Today – Alive Tomorrow!

Drivers Education plays a crucial role in the death rate by accidents throughout the world. Implementing this course within high schools and making it a requirement before getting a drivers license is the best way to communicate the dangers with young drivers. When allowing kids to complete a required course for driving online, it lessens the effectiveness of the material that is being taught to them. Having drivers’ education in high school curriculum nationwide will make students sit and listen to all the ways to reduce the number of deaths. While yes, accidents can happen that cause fatalities behind the wheel, a large percentage can be stopped by just putting the phone down, driving the speed limit, and wearing a seatbelt.

The first proper action that needs to be taken to reduce deaths while driving is eliminating the use of phones while driving. I have had this idea for a while now for installing cameras at traffic lights that work just the same as a “Toll by Plate” sensor except instead of sensing for a barcode like “SunPass”, the camera looks for phones. If one detects a phone in the driver’s hand, it automatically captures an image of the license plate to send them a fine of $100. There is not one driver who can both text and drive at the same time safely. As we advance in technology, self-driving cars are starting to emerge and drive on the road by themselves. Even if someone owns one of these vehicles there should be no exception for being on a cellular device as technology can make mistakes too! According to the CDC, over 30,000 deaths are recorded due to distracted driving. An example of an accident in this situation may be a simple bumper-to-bumper if someone does not pump the brakes in time when approaching a red light. However, bigger collisions have happened while driving on a freeway and looking down at a cellphone rather than the road in front of you. Following the same topic, some people drive irresponsibly at high rates of speed causing deaths on the highway. A common excuse that is given is because of being late for a destination. In this case, they are putting their issues onto someone else and putting one’s life at risk due to their own problems. There is never any reason for speeding out of control when a simple fix is leaving from where you are coming from earlier or rescheduling the day the person planned out. This step that I just recommended should be the simplest task, it just requires patience and self-control. Finally, the last piece of advice for reducing the deaths from driving is wearing a seatbelt. A lot of people find it degrading to put a seatbelt on because they are too good for a simple fabric that goes across your body and saves lives. To have a better understanding of the importance of wearing a seat belt, sheriff offices have done awareness programs and events to spread the word. This task only takes a few seconds and can save a life if an irresponsible driver ends up through the windshield. Another myth that floats around is that riding in the back seat of a vehicle does not require a seatbelt to be worn. This could not be more false as studies have shown there is a higher risk of dying from the back seat when in a car accident. I unfortunately have experienced and know friends that have been in these unfortunate circumstances.

Back in June of 2022 I was in a single vehicle roll over car crash in Kansas. Now in the specific part of Kansas that I was in, the speed limit was 80 so while I was not speeding, I was going at a high rate of speed when my tire blew on the truck I was driving. I was one of the lucky ones that survived such a horrific accident as I had. The basic story of it was I rode 100 plus feet of guardrail, spun out and then flipped three times and finally came to a stop upside down. Now this story is more of one of the potential accidental deaths. However, my friend was not so lucky. Just a few weeks ago he was in a car with his friends who was driving 75 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour speed zone. When the driver approached a curve, he could not slow down and ended up wrecking the vehicle in a retention pond and all five that were in the vehicle drowned. This story has given me a whole new look at the world and how people drive. It has also sent me into a mode where I am extra careful while behind the wheel because I do not want to end up like my best friend.

I feel the steps I can take to be a safer driver and encourage others to do the same is share my story in events that are held. Not many at my age have lost someone at such a young point in their life (17). Steps to make myself a better driver include but are not limited to driving on defense and being aware of the cars around me, turn down the volume of the radio in my vehicle, as well as have a constant reminder to myself to stay calm and do not be a victim of road rage. All of these things will make me a better driver and ensure I am not the reason for becoming just another statistic for deaths while driving.