Drive Smart…Right from the Start

Everyone wants to be smart so it makes sense to educate new drivers to be able to make safe and sensible decisions on the road right from the start.  Educated drivers have control and can easily handle situations that may arise on the road reducing the number of deaths each year.  However, reducing collisions isn’t just about driver education training, it’s also about changing the culture and giving drivers the knowledge they need to make better decisions for themselves when they’re out on the road.

Right from the start, we should educate drivers in order to reduce the number of deaths with one on one in person training provided for all new prospective drivers.  This would include the road basics and different scenarios, vehicle  maintenance, driving in adverse weather, emergency procedures, parking, speed and space, road types, defensive driving, and health status. We should eliminate cell phone use and distractions, alcohol and drug use, and have bluetooth trackers in all vehicles.

In order to get a full driver’s license in all states, drivers should have to complete a mandated training behind the wheel with an expert from a driving school for a certain number of hours at a reasonable cost that everyone can afford and have a bluetooth device put in the car to record their driving habits for 2 years.  This way, we know that new drivers will need to drive responsibility or they will lose their privilege for a few months and need additional training.  A breathalyzer and drug tester should also be installed to prevent the car from starting.  I think this would improve the driving habits of all new drivers.

I feel that monthly videos and quotes should be sent out to new drivers that need to be watched and signed off on so training information can be reinforced on an on-going basis.  It never hurts to remind drivers how to stay safe on the roads.  An example may include:  Winter weather is here…What to do if you start sliding on an icy road.  

As a young driver, I had the opportunity to enroll in driver’s education classes.  This was the best thing my parents could have ever done for me.  My parent’s would take me out driving, but as a person with anxiety, the driver education lessons is where I built my driving confidence and learned many tips and tricks to driving. Not only am I now a defensive driver, I am able to handle unexpected scenarios calmly and safely because of my background training.

My state required me to log the number of hours that I drove, but when I took my test, not one person looked at it.  Also, everyone should be taken out for a test drive before being given a license.  When I got my license, my test was in the parking lot and I had to parallel park, pull into a parking spot, and show them my turn signals.  I was not even taken out on the road to prove that I had the knowledge and skills to be behind a vehicle. 

I have seen my friends drive recklessly and I refuse to get into a car with them.  I tell them that I will just meet them or offer to drive so I know that we will get there safely.  I always try to lead by example and be a positive role model for others not only in Student Council and National Honor Society, but also while driving.  

My friends tell me that I am the best teen driver that they have ever been in a car with.  I know many of my classmates that have been in accidents already and have only had their license for a few months.  I am proud to say that I am accident free and am a very safe driver.  I save money on my insurance and get many discounts with an app that tracks how safe I am which is a huge incentive for me to continue to be safe on the roads.

There are many privileges in life and driving a car is certainly one of them. However, it also comes with a lot of responsibility that I don’t think many new drivers take seriously.  You are not only risking your life when you get behind the wheel, but also the life of your passengers and others that are on the road.  I want to continue to keep myself and others safe at all times and not become a statistic of a growing problem in this country.  If we Drive Smart…Right from the Start, it just may save a life one by one, day by day.