The Death Toll Dilemma

Smoke lingered in the air as I glanced out the car window, my eyes scanning the swarm of cars flooding the road. In the distance, I catch a glimpse of bright colors of red and blue which remind me of the American flag I would say the pledge to each day at school. The faintest sound of sirens brush against my ears as we move closer to the scene, and I gasped. Twisted metal, shattered glass, and debris were strewn across the road like the remnants of a violent storm. My eyes darted over to the first responders as they lifted someone out of what used to be a navy blue Toyata, and I quickly looked away.

This scene replays in my head sometimes when I’m stuck on a traffic congested highway. I was only eight at the time and had enough awareness at that point to realize the severity of the accident before my eyes. I was shocked at the damage two cars could be capable of inflicting on eachother and the drivers inside. It wasn’t until much later that I discovered that accidents like that happened every single day on the highway–accidents that could have been avoided if the people behind the wheel had received an adequate amount of drive education to ensure that they knew how to approach driving with caution and care.

Naturally, people are unable to follow the rules if they do not know them in the first place. That is why driver education is such a crucial component in decreasing the high death toll of driving. This notion especially holds true for new drivers who do not have the extensive experience and sense in driving that may help other drivers make safer decisions on the road. In fact, a recent longitudinal study observed over 150,000 teenage drivers throughout an eight year period and found that the drivers who did not complete driver’s education were “24 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident and 16 percent more likely to have an accident” (Reed). Conversely, those who did complete driver’s education were less likely to be involved in crashes or traffic violations–which may result in accidents. These findings affirm the notion that driver education plays a crucial component in decreasing the death tolls caused by driving. Logically speaking, this study’s findings make sense.

Driver education offers its students a comprehensive range of knowledge, skills, and practical training to become safe, responsible, and skilled drivers. During their course, students learn about traffic laws, road signs, and regulations, ensuring that they understand the rules of the road and how to comply with them. Additionally, students are typically taught defensive driving strategies which allow students to better anticipate and respond to potential hazards, thereby avoiding accidents. New drivers also learn safe driving practices and vehicle handling and control which decreases the likelihood of their engagement with dangerous driving on the road or improper handling of their car. Overall, driver education undoubtedly provides drivers–young or old–with a more holistic view of how to drive safely.

However, most states already make driver education completion a requirement that must be met in order for new drivers to obtain their license, and yet, the number of driving related deaths each year have not faltered. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that “42,795 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes” last year (“NHTSA Estimates for 2022 Show Roadway Fatalities Remain Flat After Two Years of Dramatic Increases”). To reduce the number of driving-related deaths each year, a number of measures must be taken, starting with driver education. As previously mentioned, driver education is an important–if not the most important–component in reducing the death toll caused by driving. Consequently, to minimize driving-related deaths, driver education programs offered to new drivers need to be strictly reinforced to increase the number of responsible drivers on the road. While current driving education programs provide a comprehensive curriculum, qualified instructors, and hands-on training, I believe that there still are potential improvements that might make these programs even more effective.

To begin, driving education programs should endeavor to take advantage of recent technological advancements. For instance, virtual reality training could be integrated into driver education programs to provide students with realistic driving simulation in various scenarios–such as adverse weather conditions, heavy traffic, and other emergency situations. That way, when drivers actually face these scenarios on the road, they will be better prepared on how to handle them properly without putting themselves or others in danger.

In addition, the implementation of peer education initiatives may be beneficial in reducing driving-related death rates. With these programs, experienced drivers would be able to share their insights and experiences in driving with newly licensed drivers, promoting positive driving behaviors among peers. As a result, the overall atmosphere on the road would be less tense and new drivers would gain insight into different road scenarios and driving practices from people who were once in their shoes.

Aside from improvements in driving education programs, periodic driver evaluations and retesting could be used to ensure that all drivers remain safe and responsible on the road. Although this proposal may be more time consuming and expensive, I think that the number of accidents and deaths that this measure would help prevent significantly outweighs the costs.

Upon reflecting on the importance of safe driving while writing this essay, I recognized aspects of my own driving habits that might need improvement to help me become a better and safer driver. I have always been a multi-tasker. I’ll watch an episode of The Office while completing my English assignment. I’ll eat a bowl of honey-nut cheerios while playing a round of Sudoku. I’ll walk my dog while listening to music. I’ll drive my car while trying to quickly respond to a text message…and that is the one scenario that I most definitely SHOULD NOT be multitasking. It only takes a second for an accident to happen. One moment everything is fine, you’re typing the last word of your text message, preparing to press send. And the next moment, everything is dark and empty.

To avoid ever having to experience that darkness, going forward I will eliminate all potential distractions in my car and remind myself that driving is NOT something that I can multi-task with. I will dedicate all my attention to the road while I’m in the driver’s seat and remind the driver to do the same when I move over to the passenger’s. I will continue to adhere to the defensive driving tactics that I learned in driver’s ed and will continue to stay updated with traffic laws and regulations. Finally, I plan on participating in local initiatives in my community that promote road safety so that I can guarantee that “the second that changes everything” never happens.

I turned my head once more from the passenger’s seat to peer at the scene behind me. My eyes caught a glimpse of the faint outline of airbags deployed in a desperate attempt to shield the drivers from the impact in vain. Dad and I left the swarm of cars behind in the traffic as we exited the highway and drove onto the main road. I leaned against the soft headrest behind me and shifted my eyes toward Dad whose eyes were focused on the road and the cars around us.

“I hope they’re okay.” I whispered to Dad as my Dad parked the car in front of my favorite ice cream shop

“Me too.”

Works Cited

“NHTSA Estimates for 2022 Show Roadway Fatalities Remain Flat After Two Years of Dramatic Increases.” NHTSA, 20 April 2023, https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+driving+related+deaths+are+there+each+year+2022+in+usa&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1062US1062&sxsrf=AB5stBgUVodRyDIx6qhTOJHuhIrRZbJu9Q%3A1689887989122&ei=9aS5ZJmDB5XV9AOls7YY&ved=0ahUKEwjZ0bSqm56AAxWVKn0KHaWZDQMQ4dUDCBE&uact=5&. Accessed 20 July 2023.

Reed, Leslie. “Study: Driver’s ed significantly reduces teen crashes, tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln.” Nebraska Today, https://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver’s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets. Accessed 20 July 2023.