Education is the Key

Driver Education is critical for young drivers getting behind the wheel for the first time. My parents were a big believer in starting my education early. My dad said there isn’t a more dangerous activity you will take part in your life than driving a car. He always said it is crazy the lack of time that parents will put into their kids’ driver education, and then just turn them loose at 16 with a car. We spent a lot of time in the empty high school parking lot and the hayfield at my grandparent’s house learning the fundamentals of driving and safety. This was in addition to the formal driver education course that I would take when I became 15. The more you are educated about the dangers of driving, the more likely you are to be a defensive and cautious driver.

Education is the key to reducing the number of deaths related to driving. My generation is so easily distracted. Our friends, the music, the surroundings, and of course our phones are all major contributors to accidents that could lead to deaths. My parents had me commit to putting my phone in the glove box while I am driving. I wish I could say that I have honored that 100%, but that wouldn’t be realistic. In my personal opinion, I think that should be a law for all drivers in their first two years of driving. I think that could seriously reduce the number of deaths caused by teen drivers. Young drivers using their phones is a serious issue that I witness every day. I think young drivers should also have to take more driver education courses even after they get their license. We do not become experts as soon as we get our license, despite what most young drivers think. We have a major invulnerability complex. We think it will never happen to us, but one day it might.

I was involved in an accident this past summer. I was following a vehicle too closely on a wet road when the driver in front of me suddenly stopped. I hit my brakes too, but slid right into the back of him. No way around it, and it was my fault. I never should have been that close, especially on a wet road. Thankfully, no one was badly injured, but it was scary watching the moment happen knowing I had no control over the vehicle. It caused some really bad damage to my vehicle and I was without my truck for weeks. But, when I really think about it, I remember how blessed I was that it wasn’t worse. I put myself in a situation that could have had much worse consequences. And if I had simply followed one of the fundamental rules of drivers education (increasing your following distance on wet roads), I could have avoided the entire incident. I have made a commitment to follow the ‘2 second’ rule that I learned in my driver education course, and on wet roads, I am going to at least double that.

There are several steps I can take to be a better and safer driver, and help others along the way. It starts with my approach to driving every time I get into my truck. I cannot have the mentality that the road is mine and others just need to get out of the way! Driving on a road, especially on the interstates where I live, is a shared experience. I have to work with my fellow drivers to ensure a safe experience for myself and others. I can also be a courteous driver. Even when I know I have the right-of-way, it doesn’t hurt me to concede to other drivers. I have to get over the idea that driving is a competition or some kind of race. It doesn’t have to be like that. Perhaps other drivers may see how I am driving and pay it forward next time they are in a similar situation. During my time in high school, we have had two student deaths that have resulted from reckless driving. It was amazingly hard to see this tragedy unfold at my high school. In both cases the young driver was at fault in the accidents, and both probably could have been prevented. I have to remember what my dad taught me in that every time I drive my car, I am doing one of the most dangerous activities I will ever do in my life. Even when driving gets monotonous and mundane, I can’t lose my focus. Lives are literally at stake.