Name: Grant Gueller
From: Lucas, Texas
Votes: 0
Each
year forty-thousand Americans die as a result of driving, and
countless more have their lives drastically altered by the injuries
incurred from automobile accidents. Cars have been around for
less than 150 years of mankind’s 200,000-year existence, yet, car
crashes have already established themselves as a leading cause of
death in the United States. Despite driving being undeniably
advantageous, the negligence of drivers negates these benefits which
is why drivers must experience driving correctly and constantly
refine their techniques to bring safety back to roads.
Nobody would ever dream of putting a civilian in control of a
military-grade weapon without proper training and instruction, so one
must ask; why are drivers allowed to obtain their license without
participating in drivers ed? My instructors taught me
that a car is essentially a rocket, which makes it imperative for
drivers to remain in complete control to remain safe. Driver’s
education molds learners into strong drivers by instilling a balance
of awareness and confidence in students. Driver awareness is
created primarily in driving school where students are taught about
signs, scenarios, and the horrifying consequences careless driving
produces. This awareness is then groomed by drive instructors
who provide students with experience behind the wheel and feedback
about their performance. This combination of experience and
awareness builds confidence within the driver creating a truly safe
and attentive driver. Despite my participation in driving
school, I was recently involved in an accident. The accident
occurred at an intersection where I had just gotten the green light
and had started driving when a car ran the red light and T-boned my
car. Luckily, both parties involved in the accident walked away
unharmed, however, the crash was still an eye-opening experience for
me. It showed me that not everything can be taught in driving
school and that I would need to drive defensively against ill
prepared drivers.
Even though driving school teaches students how to drive safely, over
time the skills and diligence taught by the class disintegrate as the
idea that “it can’t happen to me” develops. This idea
often leads to dangerous crashes, serious injuries, and even death.
In order to reduce the number of driving related deaths, drivers
should evaluate themselves or have a passenger critique them once a
week to make sure they are driving safely and staying within the
law. This process reduces reckless actions like speeding which
increases the chance of death by 4-5% every 1 MPH faster a vehicle
goes. Drivers also must keep their phones out of sight to avoid
being tempted by the leading distractor in cars today. Finally,
drivers should consider adding safety features while buying cars
since technology is constantly improving and making driving safer.
To remain a careful driver and improve my driving, I practice each of
the processes above. I have heard that others insurance
companies provide safety refresher videos that drivers watch to earn
a discount, and I believe I should begin doing this every couple of
years to improve my driving.
