The Importance of Drivers’ Education

Is a job or task as simple as it seems? There are many elements of the world we live in which, although they seem like a cakewalk anybody can do, are actually so difficult that whoever tries it without any experience will catastrophically fail, bringing about major consequences for not just them, but even others who may just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. One such example, and one of the biggest ones to exist, is the very act of driving. Driving, despite some believing it to be as easy as getting into a car and going down the road, can be of the hardest tasks for anybody to ever partake in, and is a task that, should even the most minor of misfortunes occur, could bring about fatal repercussions impacting not just you, but your loved ones and even those who were unfortunate enough to get involved with your misfortunates. However, there is one pivotal way to reduce the fatalities and tragic deaths related to driving, and that is through drivers’ education. By partaking in drivers’ education, aspiring student drivers can learn knowledge and regulations of the road, allowing them to take the required steps to reduce the number of deaths related to driving and become a safer driver.

As mentioned above, driving involves a large amount of knowledge and regulations. Aspiring drivers may have some knowledge of how the roadways work, but there is also a handful of information they also may not know. They may know how to merge onto and drive on a highway, but do they know how to merge onto and drive on a roundabout? They may know that they need to drive at or below the posted speed limit and stay three-seconds behind the vehicle in front of them, but do they know that a road’s speed limit Is automatically lower during harsh conditions, or that semi-trucks may require twice as much space? And they may know how to mostly behave at an intersection with traffic lights, but do they know what to do when the signal is flashing red, or when it does not work? These factors, and many more like them, can all lead to potentially fatal incidents should they be misunderstood and improperly followed. However, there is a way to properly understand these factors, as they are taught by drivers’ education classes to help students learn what awaits them when they drive on the road. And even then, this is not the end of learning for the students, as they must also pass a driving test to prove that they truly understand everything they learned, combined with a series of driving lessons to help build up their skills and knowledge. By taking part in not just drivers’ education, but the driving lessons and test that collectively serve to wrap their education up, these aspiring drivers are able to gain enough knowledge and skill to answer the above questions themselves and be able to properly navigate the roadways they wish to travel with a reduced risk of clueless consequences.

By partaking in drivers’ education to gain the necessary knowledge, aspiring drivers can additionally take their own steps to reduce the number of deaths that occur and become safer drivers themselves. An important step they can take, for instance, is ensuring they do not drive under the influence, or while impaired in general. In turn, this means they must not consume any alcohol, or enough to get a BAC of .08% or higher, before driving, while also avoiding abusing any kinds of drugs, and it is also recommended for them to stop driving immediately if they feel tired or drowsy. Another crucial step is to rid oneself of any elements that could distract them while driving, such as consumable goods, their car’s navigational system, and anything that involves utilizing one’s cellphone. All the above factors can dangerously draw a driver’s attention away from the road, leaving them susceptible and unaware of any pivotal events that could occur or objects that could appear. By blocking these factors out, a driver can give their full attention to the road and be prepared to act at a moment’s notice. One last step for a driver to follow is to be a defensive driver rather than an aggressive driver. An aggressive driver refers to any person who frequently succumbs to road rage and, as defined by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, commits “a combination of moving traffic offenses to endanger other persons or property,” making themselves a potential and legitimate threat to innocent drivers around them. Defensive drivers, meanwhile, instead adopt safer techniques, such as always staying alert to potential dangers, as methods to reduce their risk, and the risk of others amongst them, of being involved in perilous car accidents. Through fulfilling the steps defined above, and other steps one may feel beneficial, aspiring students can turn themselves into safer drivers and ensure the security of additional drivers.

Ultimately, all the above information displays why drivers’ education serves as an important gateway to ensuring that driving-related deaths are reduced. Not only does drivers’ education allow drivers to learn knowledge and regulations of the road, but it can even encourage them to take their own steps towards reducing the number of deaths related to driving and becoming a safer driver. The reason I view drivers’ education as being incredibly important is because a driving-related incident happened to my Pap. My maternal grandfather, who was simply taking an innocuous trip down Cito Road, had only drifted off the road by a little way. The consequence of this minor action was that his car collided with a tree and flipped over onto the road, severely injuring him and devastating the remainder of my family, me included. Thankfully, Pap survived his accident without being crippled and made a steady recovery, but there exists the nightmarish thought that the result could have been more fatal for him. Even more nightmarish is that similar types of accidents across the country, ones that can be even more violent and include a greater number of passengers, result in an average of 34,000 Americans dying each ear, a death toll that surpasses the number of American combatants killed in wars like the War in Afghanistan, the Korean War, and even the American Revolutionary War itself. By utilizing drivers’ education to ensure the safety of aspiring drivers, these types of accidents, accidents such as the one Pap got involved with, can be prevented, and the driver-related deaths that plague America can be curbed, allowing innocents to travel in peace without paying dearly for their ignorance.