Lowering Deaths by Increasing Knowledge

Lowering Deaths by Increasing Knowledge

Despite
the roughly 34,000 deaths that occur each year as a result of
driving, there are many who yet fail to recognize the seriousness of
the subject. I believe that better education for drivers as well as
more frequent testing are two of the many tools that can be used to
lower the number of driving-related deaths each year.

Above all, I
believe that drivers ed is critical in reducing driving-related
deaths. Without proper education, drivers fail to recognize the
serious consequences of poor driving habits, including drinking and
texting behind the wheel. Better drivers ed would do far more
than simply alert drivers to the road and traffic laws of a
particular region, it would teach them that driving is a privilege
and not a right. In this way, education can play a key role in
reducing driving-related deaths.

Among the many
steps that could be taken to reduce the number of driving-related
deaths each year, I will highlight three. In the first place, the
education discussed above is critical in providing drivers with
knowledge such as the rules of the road, the meaning of particular
signs, and what to do in the presence of a school bus. Secondly,
stricter texting and drinking while driving laws will more strongly
deter harmful and dangerous driving behaviors that are the cause of
many deaths. Finally, I believe that requiring drivers to retake
driving tests every two years would significantly lower the number of
reckless drivers on the road and, in turn, deaths.

Because of the
number of experiences that I have had with dangerous drivers, I will
take steps to better both my driving and that of others. After being
in several near accidents with my friend while he was failing to pay
attention to the road and several more with my mother while she was
intoxicated, I think that some of the following steps may be
beneficial to all. First, knowing and researching the road and
traffic laws of places to which one intends to go will greatly
decrease the number of ignorance-related driving accidents. In
addition, I believe that seeing the number of annual deaths that
occur as a result of reckless driving and putting that number into
perspective with the number of fatalities in all American wars is a
strong deterrent to both me and others and will push everyone to
drive more carefully and responsibly. Finally, I believe that
stronger networks of accountability within families and support
groups can effectively lower drinking, texting, and other dangerous
behaviors behind the wheel and, as a result, decrease the number of
driving-related fatalities. In these ways, I can use drivers ed
to better both the driving of myself and that of others, steps that
will effectively reduce the number of driving-related deaths.