Driver Education should be a requirement in all states

In recent years there have been more than 30,000 U.S. highway fatalities, this number is more than about half of the top U.S. combat deaths rankings added together. Including the American Revolutionary War, Iraq War , War of 1812, War of Afghanistan and the Mexican- American War. The fact that there have been more highway fatalities in recent years than all of these wars combined should be alarming. We need to work together in order to mitigate this.

Driving can be very dangerous if done carelessly. I strongly believe that driver education is imperative in reducing the number of deaths due to driving. I am from Texas, in my state anyone who applies for a driver license has to complete at least a 6 hour course on road safety. On top of this requirement a one hour series of videos called the Texas Impact Drivers Program is also to be completed. The Texas Impact Drivers Program is a series of videos which show real life car accidents and why they happened. The people in these videos sadly have passed and they share their stories and interviews with family members to raise awareness for safe driving. As someone who has completed these requirements I can say that those videos impacted me in a positive way.

This is why I believe that every state should require a driver education program prior to obtaining a drivers license. These driving education programs made me be more aware of the consequences and responsibilities that come with being behind the wheel. If every state required this from drivers license applicants people would be more responsible and aware of potential accidents. These accidents can happen in a matter of seconds and change anyone’s life completely. The fact that more people are aware of this will reduce the number of deaths related to driving.

I have experienced several car accidents before. Thankfully none of them were very serious, but these can be very scary regardless. I also have experienced people I have known who sadly did not survive a car accident. One thing I can say for a fact is that the car accidents I have experienced were caused by lack of awareness. In one of the car accidents I experienced, a young gentleman (about 16 years old) was behind the wheel with his friends and rear ended my parents car while we were parked. This is an example of drivers not being attentive and why we need more people completing driver safety courses. Steps many of us can take in order to be a better and safer driver is to eliminate distractions. Put your phone down while you’re behind the wheel, that phone call or text message can wait. Although I know that sometimes it is easy to go on “autopilot” or doze off while driving, it is important to keep in mind that anything can happen in a matter of seconds.

I believe that law enforcement should also get involved with this issue. There should be harsher consequences for unsafe drivers. Speeding, phone usage, and distracted driving should be penalized more. For example, if a driver continuously behaves this way I believe that a suspension of license for a month would help drivers be more safe.

Another strategy for reducing the amount of driving accidents involves insurance companies. As a young student I know how expensive insurance can be for young adults like myself. I believe that if insurance companies make a program where if an individual completes a driver education course, their insurance rate will decrease. This is a great incentive that will make plenty of people want to complete these courses. This will make roads safer for everyone.

In conclusion, in order to decrease the amount of driving accidents in the nation, everyone should complete a driver’s education course when applying for a license, and there should be incentives for all drivers who complete these courses. Lastly consequences for multiple violations of road safety. This would cause more drivers to be aware of the consequences of distracted driving. The incentives will also benefit both parties, the driver who is getting a lower insurance rate, and other drivers on the road who are going to be surrounded by more safe drivers.