Name: Sriya Gopu
From: Princeton Junction , NJ
Votes: 0
The
Avian Flu, Ebola, the Zika virus, and SARS are some examples of
deadly epidemics that shook the world. Aside from gun violence and
sexual assault, reckless driving is a “non-medical”
epidemic that should be on the list. Hundreds of thousands of people
die from accidents born of speeding, texting while driving, and
driving while intoxicated. I call reckless driving an epidemic
because there are so many people who are becoming victims of it, yet
there is still not an effective cure, per se. Although there are some
regulations in place, their effectiveness is quite limited.
Teenagers, especially, are ignorant of the various laws in place. For
example, in my school in New Jersey, anytime you step into the
parking lot or see a student in their car on their way home, they are
guaranteed to have their phone out and in use. Unfortunately, this is
becoming a norm among adolescents all over the country. It is now
“cool” to take such risks – where there is about a 25%
chance of an accident.
Driver’s
Education is a mandated course in many schools across the country.
The course is generally geared towards a successful score on the
written test rather than road safety. However, while teaching the
material on the test, students are taught the basics of road safety
as a result. I do not think that negative effects are implied enough
through the discussed material. Documentaries and films can only
convey so much; I think it would be beneficial to have survivors talk
to all the students because there is no age limit to learning about
road safety, as it would allow them to directly relate to the
tragedy. Additionally, what I have noticed in my Drivers Education
class, as well as in others, is that students do not take it very
seriously. In order to leave a lasting impact on the students, the
programs should be revised in a way that would allow students to
experience road safety.
Insurance
companies implement higher prices for teen drivers because of
shocking statistics like the fact that 22 percent of teen drivers
were not wearing a safety restraint during a crash. Adding to that,
over 17,000 teenagers were killed in Pennsylvania alone because of
reckless driving. Reckless driving is not only speeding and swerving
along the road, but also includes phone use while driving, drinking
and driving, and driving while under the influence of drugs. If the
consequences are more restrictive and more strictly implemented, all
drivers will benefit from it – not only teenagers. Additionally, if
insurance companies offer a more enticing reward specifically for
teenagers who are accident-free for a period of time, the
aforementioned frightful statistics will surely decrease. Speeding
amounted for the reason for 32% of accidents involving teenagers. The
thrill of taking risks while driving poses an important question for
drivers everywhere: an adrenaline drive once or long drives forever?
