Death Tolls and Drivers Ed

Deaths related to driving have been on the rise in the past decade. But why? The answer is simple, distracted drivers. Almost 35,000 deaths have occurred in the past decade due to distracted driving. It seems that if we had a cure to this situation, many of those victims could still be alive. The solution seems so simple, but why people are not doing anything to make a change is still in question. Driver education and being able to resist the temptation to keep our phones down, seem to be solutions to our death toll problem.

We all have that feeling when we turn fifteen, only six more months and it’s time to obtain a permit. Most kids cannot wait to get out on the roads. Being able to drive means more freedom from mom and dad, but it also means more responsibility. As a driver, you are not only responsible to keep those in your car safe, you are also responsible to keep the other cars on the road safe. Driver education teaches us the ins and outs of driving. It instructs us what is permitted by law and how to take care of our vehicle in order to maintain safe conditions while driving. Growing up on a farm, I had driven a couple of times and I thought I was ready for the road. It came as a big shock to me when I realized that I could not handle passing a big semi on the road as easily as I initially thought. Drivers Education taught me the skills needed in order to drive safely and accident free.

With the advancement of technology, there are now more distractions for drivers than ever before. From the radio to our cell phones, it can be difficult to stay focussed on the road. The average American spends over 3 hours on their phone every day, and checks their phone over fifty-eight times per day. This number of daily hours spent on the phone goes up with the average American teenager. The average teenager spends over seven hours on their phone daily. We are so addicted to our phones that we do not want to put them down while driving. This is how many accidents occur. Distracted drivers who are not paying attention could potentially cause an accident that may lead to death. Driver education helps to teach us the importance of staying off of our phones and staying focussed. It shows us some of the dangers that could occur if we continue to be distracted. As a driver, it is our duty to stay off our phones while driving. We are not only responsible for our lives, but also for the lives of others on the road.

I can not attack others for being distracted while driving while I struggle with this as well. I admit that it is very hard to stay fully engaged while driving. There always seems to be some kind of distraction; the notifications from my phone, the radio ads, or my passengers. The bottom line is there are distractions all around us, we have to take the initiative of staying fully engaged and keeping our focus on the road. For me, this looks like keeping my phone on silent while driving, keeping the volume of my radio on low, and making sure my passengers are well behaved and not being a distraction. These seem like small things, but I have yet to be in an accident due to these precautions. I know the risks and dangers of distracted driving, and I will do everything I can to protect myself and others on the road.

I have not personally been injured by a distracted driver, but I have seen the effects of this atrocity. One of my friends’ dad was hit by a distracted driver. He was a normal, healthy guy before the accident, but afterwards, he was never the same. He was driving when a distracted driver rear ended him. The accident caused severe brain damage, and he became basically helpless and disabled. He could not even remember his own daughter’s name. This was not only heartbreaking for the family, it was heartbreaking for me as an outsider looking in. His and his family’s lives will never be the same. This all seems that it could have been avoided if only someone would have had the self control to stay alert.

We can stop the rise of death tolls in America due to distracted driving. We can do this by showing the importance of staying off your phone. A lot of skills are learned during drivers education, including the consequences of distracted driving. People die everyday from distracted drivers. I believe that if we stress the importance of staying engaged while driving, it could save so many lives. People’s lives are precious; too precious to be taken by a distracted driver.