Driver Education

Overall, I think there is a lot that could be done to help reduce the amounts of deaths on the road each year. Right now, the systems we have in place are too relaxed, we only require one driver test for your entire lifetime, and data shows that only 9.18% of drivers have a speeding ticket on their record, (Fox LA, 2022). There are tons of new tech that could be used to help mitigate some of these issues, but I genuinely think it comes down to if there are any consequences for your actions. Here is Texas we are known for speeding, literally everyone does it every day, and yet I rarely see anyone being pulled over for it. If we as a people think that there are no consequences for speeding, or think the consequences are relaxed then why would we follow the rules? So, what is the solution, well first off, I think that we should implement multiple driving tests throughout your life, that way people are checked to make sure they can still drive properly. Then there should be cameras put in place in high speeding areas that will automatically give tickets to people going more than 5 over the speed limit. I believe that these two things together can make a huge impact on how well people are driving, and the number of accidents a year. Driver education is very important, but I think for the most part it is something that can be totally ignored. We live in a world where people only care about themselves, so even educating them on the numbers wouldn’t have a big impact. I do think that increasing driver education could still have positive effects, I just think compared to other solutions it is more meniscal. Another issue to note is the use of phones behind the wheel, and I think there could be similar solutions to those issues. We could up the fine for it, or eventually use technology to ticket people for using their phone behind the wheel. Maybe one day are cars can be programmed to shut down our phones while were driving. There is so many different issues when it comes to driving, but I think there is also lots of solutions to be found. I have been in the car for multiple accidents, nothing big thankfully, but I grew up with a mom that speed and used her phone at the same time, definitely a scary combo. She knew the consequences, but they never fazed her. I think this is the case for most drivers on the road, they know what can happen or the tickets they could get, but these consequences don’t faze them. Most of the time these consequences are only recognized when it is too late. I have been in 3 accidents myself, being rear-ended twice, and hitting someone’s car while backing out of a parking space. Both times I was rear-ended, the driver was busy doing something else, like texting or smoking. Thankfully both of those times didn’t end with much damage, but I felt anger at the fact that these people were so reckless behind the wheel. The third time I turned the car too much and tapped a truck I was parked next to, unfortunately for me hitting a truck at 3 miles per hour still cause a ton of damage. I felt so bad even though the truck wasn’t hurt at all, I was very upset with myself for making such a clumsy and costly mistake. Mistakes happen on the road every day, but there would be a lot less accidents if we were more willing to follow the rules, and put down our phones. Personally, there are times when I should slow down as well, and be more careful driving on the road. Things like speeding can feel little to use until they cause big problems. I can make change today by just talking to other people about the statistics, and how we can bring these numbers down. The road could be a much safer place if we are all willing to put in the effort, and raise awareness about these alarming numbers. Together we can make change on the road, and put laws and regulations into place that could completely changes the stats, our future generations could inherit a much safer way to travel. More people could come home safely each day, if we all start talking about these issues. The road isn’t the only place we need to make changes, but it is a great place to start.