Roadway Safety

Although most 16 year olds are eager to get their license and get on the road, many are not aware of the huge risk that comes with the responsibility of driving. Although only 37 out of the 50 states make taking a driving course mandatory for young drivers before they get their license, taking a driving class teaches drivers the rules of the road. Drivers education allows for students to learn about the risks of driving and enables young drivers to know how to handle risky situations. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. Learning how to drive safely will allow young drivers to avoid dangerous situations that can lead to a fatal accident. According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention 16 year old drivers face “crash rate per mile driven about 1.5 times” higher than 18-19 year old drivers. Proper drivers education allows for young drivers to learn how to prevent injury while driving. One of the ways to learn how to stay safe is to learn how to use all the safety feature cars offer. Learning about how seat belts, airbags, and braking systems work give drivers more knowledge that can potentially save their life. At least half of teens who were critically injured or killed on the road were not wearing seatbelts. Teaching the importance of wearing a seatbelt in drivers education classes has the potential to equip all new drivers with a safety measure to protect their lives. Taking steps towards enforcing seat belt wearing allows for all drivers in all age groups to have a safer driving experience. According to the National Safety Council seat belt usage has saved approximately 374,276 lives since 1975. Although 34,000 people perish on US roads each year, safety measures such as the seat belt save thousands of lives annually. Taking steps towards educating people about the importance of seat belts will help save lives. Whether it comes from others in the car reminding others to buckle up or from law enforcement ticketing drivers for not wearing their seat belt, reminding people how relevant this safety device is, is an important step to decreasing injury on the road. Law enforcement pushing for seat belt usage in every state is one practical way that can lead to an increase in passenger safety. Being able to ticket anyone in a vehicle for not buckling up not only holds drivers responsible, but communicates to everyone the true importance of staying safe on the road. Although the use of seat belts increases your safety on the road, other factors such as distractions and speeding play a huge role in driver safety. As the world becomes more technological the number of mobile distractions continues to increase. Phones and other devices require drivers to divert their attention off the road and towards another task. When a driver is not fully concentrated on driving, the likelihood of an accident increases. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that “3,522 lives were claimed by distracted driving in 2021.” Although it is a common fact known by most drivers that texting and driving is dangerous, it is commonly seen. As a teenage driver myself I have witnessed several of my friends use their phones while driving their car. Although a quick glance at your phone may seem harmless, taking your eyes off the road for five seconds while traveling at 55 miles per hour is the equivalent to not looking at the road for the length of a football field. Without your eyes on the road your likelihood of responding to a situation in time to prevent a collision dwindles. Limiting distractions is crucial for the driver, especially for inexperienced drivers. When driving with my friends who have a habit of distracted driving I vocalize my concern for their safety. Reminding the people I care about that their lives are more important than any text message ever will, reminds them of the importance of roadway safety. Although I have never had someone close to me be involved in a traumatic car collision, I value reminding those around me of the dangers. Although reminding others to drive safely is important, forcing those habits upon myself is equally significant. Building safe habits that keep all the passengers inside my vehicle safer and model to others good habits make the road safer. Being conscious about my speed on the road despite the “flow of traffic” helps build healthy habits that protect pedestrians and road construction workers. Respecting not only the people inside your car, but also the people around you, create the most ideal conditions. As I gain more experience behind the wheel, sharing that knowledge with my younger siblings and cousins will help others be safer on the road. Coming together to help spread information about roadway safety will help the US fatalities caused by car accidents decrease. As knowledge continues to reach all corners of the country through the efforts of drivers education courses, lives will be saved.