By Ashley Lim

“The driver on the highway is safe not when he reads the signs, but when he obeys them.” 

From January through June of 2025, already 17,140 people have lost their lives as a result of motor vehicle crashes. Every twenty-four hours, 34 people die in a crash when someone drives under the influence. The United States military approximates a total of 58,300 members of U.S. armed forces who were killed or went MIA during the Vietnam War, which is still less than the almost 80,000 Americans who die within two years due to driving. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death in teens globally and are a significant leading cause of death in the USA in general. Almost 90% of these deaths are preventable.

 

            People, especially teenagers, often view impaired driving in one of two ways: “That’s an obvious mistake! I would never end up in a situation with driving under the influence,” or “A little intake won’t hurt anyone.” 

To address the first statement, alcohol and/or drugs are frequently what come to mind when we think of causes of vehicle accidents, and while these factors are a main contributor, they are usually misunderstood as the overall definition of impaired driving. Even so, there is a good handful of people who truly would never drive under the influence of alcohol/drugs, but there are still several other forms of impaired driving that compromise your focus and reaction time when you are behind the wheel. When you are ill, your ability to transmit auditory or visual information to the brain is impaired, lowering your response time to the quick events of the roadway, which is harmful especially during emergency situations. Certain over-the-counter and even prescription medications (such as for cold and flu) can cause excessive drowsiness and fatigue that hinders necessary astuteness for driving. In a world where technology has become a prominent part of our lives, texting or talking on the phone diverts your sight and mind from the road, leaving you with decreased visual and cognitive perception, which can lead to missing crucial visual cues such as a car slowing down or a pedestrian crossing. Additional factors such as emotional state, environmental disturbances, or inadequate skillset also greatly affect whether or not you are driving safely. Driving with these hazards can be just as dangerous as driving when you have been drinking. 

To address the second statement, it is illegal for an adult aged 21 or higher to drive with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) higher than 0.08%. However, even a BAC as little as 0.04% can already result in impaired simple reaction time, and as the percentage increases, your ability to control steering, braking, and the speed of your vehicle decreases, and information processing is inhibited. About 30% of all fatal collisions have alcohol/drugs as a factor, so even a “little intake” can have serious and profound consequences.

 

            According to NHTSA, teen drivers who have not completed Driver’s Education are 16% more likely to get into a crash, and 24% more likely to get into a fatal or injurious one. Nonetheless, Driver's Ed is commonly undermined in its importance to the driving process, and because of the rush to get into the hands-on behind-the-wheel step, the valuable information Driver's Ed provides can be greatly overlooked. Not only does it provide knowledge on the different traffic signs/signals, right-of-way rules, vehicle functioning/parts, the essential attitudes needed on the road, etc., but it also displays and explains why learning and following all of these protocols are important, so that in a real-world driving situation, you will be utterly prepared. It teaches that the different shapes and colors of road signs can be used for either warning, regulation, or guidance, which is vital to knowing the situation and safety of the road depending on surrounding environmental conditions, compelling the future driver to react in an adaptive manner. The right-of-way rules allow for more secure circumstances when sharing the road with other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, and being aware of how your vehicle works is helpful if it is ever in need of maintenance or repair, reducing the chance of accidents. The information provided through this education is even more vast and is not limited to this list alone.

            Furthermore, Driver’s Education teaches what happens when these ordinances are overlooked. Driving irresponsibly and/or aggressively can result in a hefty fine, serious injuries (such as concussion, loss of consciousness, fracture, organ damage, paralysis, etc.), and death. Driver’s Ed brings to light the urgent matter of safe driving by supplying the driving student with some videos about stories from different survivors of serious accidents, exhibiting that anyone, of any age, can get into a life-changing accident if they misunderstand the weight of the responsibility of getting behind the wheel.

 

            Imagine this: You are taking your usual trip to the grocery store driving on a highway you take every day. Not using your hands, you look down at your phone for a second to check the time. When you look up again you see a truck car going full speed at you, and suddenly the world turns upside down, the air bags on your face, your head spinning trying to grasp the reality of what just happened. This is a story I was told by a family friend who got into a rollover car accident. This taught me that one second can change everything. One second you are not looking at the road is one less second that you have to react to danger on the highway that can cause a grave collision. 

            Driver’s Education has thoroughly changed the way I view driving: from a common chore to a heavy responsibility. As someone who has not yet gone through formal behind-the-wheel training but just finished Driver's Ed, my awareness of this idea of driving has branched from the grave statistics, knowledge, and personal experiences I have heard or read. The stories shared in Driver's Ed itself, as well as the story above along with others I have heard at school have helped me to truly grasp that accidents can happen anywhere, to any ordinary individual, and when you least expect it, which is why it is important to always drive alert and educated. Hearing these personal stories makes the dangers of driving all the more real, the statistics showing the dangers more measurable, and the establishment of various driving laws/signs proving the dangers more possible. Through Driver's Education, my eyes have been opened to the weight of being a driver and the discipline it takes to close off any external distractions and focus entirely on the road ahead. Learning this self-control will help me become a better driver, knowing that by choosing to make these good driving decisions, I am not only sparing my own life, but also the lives of the hundreds of others on the road with me. 

 

            I know that I am not the only one who has been through or heard about instances of vehicle collisions. It is a global problem, claiming 1.19 million lives worldwide each year, and although this problem will never completely be eradicated, it can be reduced, and crashes can be prevented. 

Fundamentally, to reduce the mortality rate from collisions, this generation of drivers needs to set an example for posterity. The number of people driving on the road is only increasing, and the only way to fix this problem is to spread the word. What is taught in Driver's Education can be used profoundly for this purpose, and we can utilize the information on how irresponsible driving, driving under the influence, and internal and external distractions can contribute to the likelihood of a crash. This knowledge (including why Driver's Ed is a necessity) can be spread through the creation of posters, which can be hung up around your neighborhood or community, or through hosting events or seminars at school or work dedicated to bringing awareness around the global issue of impaired driving and vehicle collisions. Also, sharing your personal experience or story with others is a powerful asset in compelling people to drive safely, as hearing about another individual’s story exhibits a sense of urgency that enlightens others on the gravity a crash can have on a person like themselves.

 

            Again, motor vehicle crashes are something that can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. While not all of them are fatal, they can produce significant injuries and property damage. It is necessary that Driver's Education comes before behind-the-wheel training to gain foreknowledge of the different roadway signs, signals, and laws beforehand, and significantly because the education brings consciousness to the consequences that will occur if an individual conducts impaired driving. There is a common misconception that impaired driving is limited to consuming alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes, but even if an individual does not drive under the influence, the presence of other psychological, physical, and environmental factors hindering the driver’s focus on the road can prove just as dangerous. Over one million people die from motor vehicle crashes each year globally, so it is imperative that we take our knowledge, plus our personal experiences, and use them as fuel in the journey of one day reducing this number by disseminating the information we have learned in this generation. We do this in hopes that the next generation will drive differently, that is, responsibly, knowing that every day we get behind the wheel, we are wielding a weapon with which we are responsible for not only our own life, but the lives of those around us as well.