Operating a Motor Vehicle is a Serious Responsibility
Operating a Motor Vehicle is a Serious Responsibility
Operating a motor vehicle is a serious responsibility.
- It is important to use your head and think clearly when you are operating a motor vehicle because lives are at stake.
- Always be aware of what you are doing.
- Utilize good judgment when you drive.
A motor vehicle is a weapon
The car can potentially cause serious damage to you and those around you. Even at low speeds of one-to-thirty five miles per hour (MPH), you can seriously injure or kill a person or animal.
A motor vehicle’s main purpose is to transport people from one place to another.
However, under certain conditions, time, place and manner, a motor vehicle becomes a deadly weapon, and can be more lethal than a firearm.
With an increasing number of cars on the roads each year, you see an increase in car accidents. Thousands of people die annually because of car accidents, with many more receiving serious injuries, often leaving the victims and their families grief-stricken and desolate.
An automobile is as dangerous as a loaded gun if not operated properly
Drivers who are not paying attention to their environment can cause serious injury or death.
If you have your eyes on your surroundings, you are well positioned to react in a timely manner to avoid an accident.
Factors that can cause danger to the driver and others:
- Drunk driving
- Cell phones and texting
- Driving while tired
- Unsafe speeds
- Vehicle malfunction
- Bad weather and/or poor road conditions
Teens are Twice as Likely as Drivers of Any Age to be Involved in Fatal Crashes!
Novice teen drivers are twice as likely as adult drivers to be in a fatal crash. Despite a 28% decline in driver fatalities of 15- to 18-year-olds between 2010 and 2019, teens are still significantly overrepresented in fatal crashes.
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
Research performed by NHTSA tells us that immaturity and inexperience are primary factors contributing to these deadly crashes. Both lead to high-risk behavior behind the wheel: driving at nighttime, driving after drinking any amount of alcohol, and driving distracted by passengers and electronic devices.
To address these problems, California, as well as all other states, have enacted the Graduated Driver Licensing laws to give teens more time-under less risky circumstances-to learn the complex skills required to operate a vehicle. Each state has their own GDL laws. California can be found in the following image.
