Every year, more than 40,000 Americans are killed in car crashes, as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Unfortunately, this is more likely to happen in Mississippi than anywhere else in the country.
The Magnolia State is ranked first in the nation for fatal car accidents per capita, with 24.9 motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
A likely reason for this high rate of fatal wrecks is Mississippi’s poor infrastructure, which contributes to the danger on the roads. The state ranks second for the worst road conditions in the U.S., with 29.85% of roads deemed “unacceptable” by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
So when Mississippi weakened its licensing requirements in 2021 by removing the road test, it raised an important question: Why lower standards in a place where driving is already so dangerous?
For many students who grew up in states where road tests are standard, Mississippi’s policy seems counterintuitive and baffling. Freshman communication sciences and disorders major Libby Frank from Houston complained that driving in Oxford is “much more difficult” than back home in Texas, where a road test is required.
And it isn’t just out-of-state students who are frustrated. Many Mississippi residents say the lack of basic driving knowledge is obvious. Emily Barnes, a freshman international studies major from Hattiesburg, Miss., said many drivers in Oxford “don’t seem to know simple rules like a four-way stop sequence.”
Others have experienced the consequences firsthand. Sophomore political science major Loria Williams from Madison, Miss., commented, “I dread driving in Oxford,” adding that her car was hit while it was completely stationary within her first six months of living here.
Road tests are not about punishing new drivers; rather, they are about making sure people are actually prepared. Asher Cook, a freshman Arabic and international studies major from St. Louis, failed his road test three times before passing.
“It forced me to learn everything there is to know about being a safe and effective driver,” Cook said.
Now, he said he is often complimented on his driving, which he attributes to the effort required to earn his license in Missouri.
Even students who don’t fault the removal of the road test agree that Mississippi’s safety standards are alarmingly low.
Junior political science major Jackson O’Neil, also from Houston, argued, “The driving test being taken out isn’t the actual problem.” He says the real issue lies in the state’s 2015 decision to get rid of vehicle inspections for safety and emissions.
“It doesn’t matter how good of a driver you are if the other drivers around you are driving an unsafe vehicle on unsafe roads that are poorly lit, if at all,” O’Neil said.
O’Neil’s point only strengthens the case for reinstating the road test. In a state with hazardous roads, limited lighting and no vehicle safety inspections, the responsibility of the driver is higher than ever.
Mississippi’s roads are uniquely dangerous, as the state has repeatedly chosen to lower safety standards on vehicles, roads and drivers. In a state where the stakes are this high, the very least we can do is make sure new drivers know what they’re doing.
A road test won’t solve everything, but it’s a necessary first step towards making Mississippi’s roads safer for everyone.
MacKenzie McDaries is a freshman Arabic and international studies double major from Murfreesboro, Tenn.
