The Golden Rule

In the United States there is an average of 19,937 crashes every day which breaks down to 2 accidents every 10 seconds and 7.3 million each year, according to studies. This statistic is saddening and quite frankly frightening as traveling by car is a part of most citizens’ everyday lives. I am lucky to be writing this essay for you today because I have firsthand experience of a car accident that could have taken my life or someone else’s. My driver’s education began in first grade when my family’s car was T-boned because of an intoxicated driver zooming through their stop sign. My life flashed before my eyes as the side of the car I was sitting on was hit and I was sent to the hospital scared and injured. This accident has followed me all these years and lives in the back of my mind each time I enter a car whether I am driving or not. The truth is that your actions on the road affect not only you but everyone around you as well. In fact, there is a rule in life called the “Golden Rule” which is to treat others the way you want to be treated, the same thing applies to drivers, drive the way you want others to drive. Every time you step foot into a car you take a risk, with that being said, when drivers are educated the roads are safer and there is a decreased chance of an accident occurring. 

Education for drivers is a vital part of keeping our roads safe and functional for everyone on them. I believe that everyone looking to pursue a license should participate in a driver’s education program whether that be through courses in high school, the DMV, or a driving school. It is important to educate all potential drivers on the rules and etiquette of operating a car in public to protect themselves and everyone around them from a potential collision. I believe this is step one in creating a safer driving environment as well as building confidence within the potential drivers to get behind the wheel and feel comfortable taking on the responsibility of driving. In these driver education classes I also think it is important to talk about bad habits people have while driving and the dangers they can cause other people on the road. These habits include riding someone’s bumper, sudden brake checks, not using turn signals, blowing through stop signs, etc. All of these are dangerous habits that can catch people off guard and cause an accident and/or harm to other drivers and pedestrians, but it is important to talk about these things before they happen to a new driver, and they freak out making the situation worse. Being well educated and confident behind the wheel is how we can ensure that our roadways are as safe as they could possibly be for everyone.

After teaching about what to expect on the road I think it is important to reiterate the responsibilities of driving and what bad decisions could lead to. Distractions include texting or snapchatting, switching music, listening to loud music, eating, or engaging with distracting passengers while behind the wheel. Some people think that doing those things is not a major problem or that they can manage driving while participating in those activities, but the truth is that sending that text or changing that song is not worth putting your life at risk no matter if it seems feasible or not. Everybody only gets one chance at life, and it should not be taken because of someone’s inability to pay attention on the road. Likewise, more awareness needs to be drawn to driving under the influence and the damage it can do. People need to know that there are so many different alternatives to driving after drinking or doing drugs such as public transportation, uber or another car service, a designated driver, etc. Driving under the influence, especially in this day and age, is unacceptable with the amount of resources that are available at the tip of everyone’s fingertips. Having experienced a terrible accident because of a drunk driver myself, I hope that no one else has to go through what my family and I did because someone thought they were sober enough to operate a motor vehicle. Life is precious and I want everyone to understand that each time they get behind the wheel they are putting themselves and others at risk, so it is imperative that the driver pay attention and the passengers be considerate.