In the Driver’s Seat

In the Driver’s Seat

Lack of road safety, such as not paying attention on the road, using illegal drug substances, driving while unconscious, breaking rules and receiving tickets, being involved in serious crashes and/or death, getting into accidents, and drivers who are overconfident, which leads to reckless driving, emphasizes the importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths caused by driving. In 2022 and 2023, for example, there were numerous street racing and takeovers that killed and injured bystander people.

Wearing your seat belt, having the right attitude to drive, being cautious when driving, driving when drinking alcohol and drug use is illegal, and limiting the number of teen passengers versus adult passengers your car can carry are the most important steps to reducing the number of deaths related to driving.

I believe that wearing a seat belt can save your life or the life of another person in an accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that “being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle; being completely ejected from a vehicle is almost always death.” Furthermore, they stated, “If you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal air bag, such force could injure or even kill you.” So, one of the safest choices any driver or passenger can make is to “BUCKLE UP” and reduce the number of fatalities related to driving. In the United States, in particular, the national seat belt use rate in 2022 saved ninety-one point six percent of lives (Seat Belts | NHTSA, n.d.). Buckling up in the front seat of a passenger car reduces the risk of fatal injury by forty-five percent and moderate to critical injury by fifty percent, according to statistics. The additional advantage of wearing a seat belt in a light truck is that it reduces the risk of fatal injury by sixty percent and moderate to critical injury by sixty-five percent. In brief, always wear your seat belt for your safety and the safety of others in the vehicle because it can prevent serious injuries.

Driving with the right attitude is another important step toward reducing the number of fatalities associated with driving. Being impatient, rude, or irresponsible can and will make your driving less enjoyable, as well as putting you and other road users at risk (Car Driver Attitudes, n.d.). For example, respecting other drivers by not tailgating them, allowing other cars to merge in front of you, and allowing minor mistakes. This is showing how alert and aware of the actions of you, other drivers, and road users, including motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians (Driving Safely Is an Attitude – Not a Platitude!, n.d.). Needless to say, having the proper attitude demonstrates how responsible your behavior of driving attitude is. You do not make decisions based on your emotions; instead, you use your conscious mind.

Drinking alcohol and using drugs while driving is illegal, which is another important step toward reducing traffic fatalities. Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs can impair driving ability by slowing the brain that your body’s movements, balance, coordination, memory, judgment, and reaction times (Driving | Health Effects | Marijuana | CDC, n.d. and Drug-Impaired Driving | NHTSA, n.d.). Cocaine and methamphetamine also have the potential to make drivers more aggressive and reckless (Drug-Impaired Driving | NHTSA, n.d.). Several studies have found that marijuana and other drugs impair motor skills, lane tracking, and cognitive functions (Drug-Impaired Driving | NHTSA, n.d.). The Alcohol and Drug Foundation stated in support that “alcohol consumption slows the activity of the central nervous system, including the brain. Drowsiness and relaxation can impair a driver’s ability to drive, causing them to fall asleep at the wheel.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a 2015 study on driving after smoking cannabis found that Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana can impair a driver’s ability to multitask when a critical skill is required behind the wheel. Keeping this in mind, drinking alcohol or using drugs while driving will not and cannot make you a safer driver because of the effect it has on brain ability.

The last most important step toward reducing the number of traffic fatalities is to limit the number of teen passengers versus adult passengers in a vehicle. Multiple studies conducted a decade ago show that when a vehicle carries multiple teenage passengers, the risk of an accident increases per person. For example, if a vehicle only has one teen passenger, there is already a forty-four percent chance of an accident. If there are two teen passengers, the percentage chance doubles to eighty-eight percent. If there are three or more teen passengers in the vehicle, the percentage chance quadruples to one hundred and thirty-two percent. Having a teen as a vehicle passenger(s) indicated that they are willing to participate in risky driving behaviors and easily get preoccupied when they are supposed to pay attention. According to Jacobson Law, prior to the year 2000, teen passengers played a significant role in road accident victims. As a result, some states have placed restrictions on vehicles carrying teenagers as passengers. Since 2000, the percentage of teenagers killed in car accidents has decreased significantly to fifty-three to fifty-five percent (Jacobson Law, 2020 and Tefft, Williams, & Grabowski, 2018). On the other hand, if a vehicle carries at least one adult passenger aged thirty-five and up, the risk of an accident is reduced by sixty-two percent. As a result, there is a high risk of accidents if the number of teen passengers in a vehicle without an adult passenger is not limited. However, if there is an adult passenger or more among the teen passengers in a vehicle, the risk of an accident is reduced.

In addition, I have been in a car accident and have seen friends and/or family members drive recklessly. In a car accident, for example, many other drivers were not paying attention and were looking elsewhere. As a result, an uproar accident occurs. In the case of my friends and/or family members driving recklessly, the goal is to arrive at their destination as soon as possible due to heavy traffic and impatience. Except for a few instances of chaos, there had been no accidents.

The steps that I would take to become a better and safer driver and as well as to help advise others to become safer on the road is to think safety first by buckling up their seat beat. Be alert and aware of your surrounding by paying attention on the roads without getting easily distractions. Do not depend on other drivers by thinking they see you by letting you merge or turn. Always prepare to brake. Do not drive under the influence of alcohol and drug use. And, keeping my cool on the road-rightful mind to drive.

Reference

Car driver attitudes. (n.d.). https://www.safedrivingforlife.info/advice/car-driving/you-and-your-experience/car-driver-attitude/#:~:text=The%20most%20important%20thing%20about,other%20road%20users%20at%20risk.

 

Driving | Health effects | marijuana | CDC. (n.d.). https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects/driving.html#:~:text=Marijuana%20affects%20areas%20of%20the,coordination%2C%20memory%2C%20and%20judgment.&text=Marijuana%20use%20can%20impair%20important,impairing%20coordination%2C%20and.

 

Driving safely is an attitude – not a platitude! (n.d.). https://www.markelinsurance.com/resources/driving-safety/driving-safely-is-an-attitude#:~:text=Respect%20other%20drivers%20%E2%80%93%20don’t,including%20motorcyclists%2C%20bicyclists%2C%20and%20pedestrians.

 

Drug-Impaired Driving | NHTSA. (n.d.). NHTSA. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drug-impaired-driving#:~:text=Alcohol%2C%20marijuana%2C%20and%20other%20drugs,drivers%20more%20aggressive%20and%20reckless.

 

Insights – Alcohol and Drug Foundation. (n.d.). https://adf.org.au/insights/.

 

Jacobson Law. (2020, December 14). Does the number of passengers increase the risk of accidents? Jacobson Law. https://www.jaydjacobson.com/blog/2020/12/does-the-number-of-passengers-increase-the-risk-of-accidents/#:~:text=Multiple%20studies%20from%20the%20past,they%20have%20three%20or%20more.

 

Seat Belts | NHTSA. (n.d.). NHTSA. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts#:~:text=Being%20buckled%20up%20during%20a,vehicle%20is%20almost%20always%20deadly.&text=If%20you%20don’t%20wear,injure%20or%20even%20kill%20you.

 

Tefft, B.C., Williams, A.F.& Grabowski, J.G. (2018, June 15). Teen driver risk in relation to age and number of passengers – AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. https://aaafoundation.org/teen-driver-risk-relation-age-number-passengers/.