Driving supported by education

Driving is one of those things that should be taken very seriously. Vehicles are heavy and powerful, and can be very dangerous if not operated with caution. The ability to be a good driver comes with education, practice, and accountability. At the end of the day, driving is a privilege, not a right, and privileges are earned, not given.

Drivers’ education is essentially a class offered, not mandated, to students in high school prior to them becoming independent drivers themselves. The benefits of driver’s education that are talked about amongst teenagers are that of having a way to learn to drive if parents are unable to teach and the added benefit of a driving insurance discount for taking the class. Driver’s education really is more important than that, it is an important tool to helping reduce the number of deaths related to driving. The knowledge gained through driver’s education is actual on-the-road experiences that can help bring awareness to real life driving situations. The instructors can help identify in-the-moment bad habits that drivers may not realize they have. Drivers can also be educated more thoroughly on the rules of the road while being in the driver’s seat. The benefits of taking driver’s education should advertised a lot more than it is.

A big step that can be taken to help reduce the number of deaths related to driving is requiring driver’s education in certain situations. It could be very helpful to require permit drivers to take drivers education before being able to obtain their license. This would help introduce road rules, point out distractions, and overall improve safety before drivers are on the roads by themselves. Requiring driver’s education for drivers that have been placed at fault for an accident would be beneficial as well. This wouldn’t be a punishment, but more a refresher to help identify what they could have potentially been doing wrong to cause the accident and to help reinforce any rules of the road they may have forgotten.

I have personally been in an accident where I was not at fault, and it was terrifying. I had only been a driver for two months, trying to be overly cautious. While at a red light the woman behind me looked up from her phone when the light turned green. She did not notice that the line of cars still had break lights on, all she noticed was the traffic light had turned green. She pushed on the gas and completely knocked in the backside of my car. I was shaken up and scared, but grateful that I had not endured any injuries and that she had admitted fault. She had been on her phone and didn’t even see my break lights. It was at that time I could hear my parents in my head lecturing about being on phones in the car, and thinking that maybe this lady could benefit from their talk.

Each driver on the road should be accountable for their own actions, and there are certain things I make sure to do and not do every time I am in the driver’s seat. I believe in “phone down, head up”. This means not having any distractions in my hands and having my focus on the road and my surroundings. Placing phones on “do not disturb” is a good practice, it can help alleviate the distraction of a phone notification. I also make sure to follow proper driving rules, such as using turn signals and I am cautious about following the posted speed limits. . I try to help others be safe drivers as well. When I’m in the passenger seat I remind the driver about my “phone down, head up” motto. I also suggest for their phones to be placed on “do not disturb” mode to alleviate the distraction of a notification. As the passenger I also pay attention to surrounding to help point out things to the driver if necessary. I make the driver aware of the speed limits posted as well. I would consider myself a “back seat driver” for safety.

Safe driving practices alongside adequate driving education can help make our roads safer, hopefully cutting down on crashes and fatalities. Driver’s education is underutilized and could really benefit the safety of everyone on the road. The last thing anyone wants is to see their loved one drive away for the last time. Education is the key to safety, so more talk about utilizing driver’s education should be taking place at home and in the schools for the road safety of everyone.