Thoughts on Driving

While working in a public high school (Ferndale High in Washington State) as a paraeducator while pursuing a master’s degree in education, I have had the privilege of learning about the lives of teenagers in my community. One thing I have witnessed on multiple occasions is students the age of 17, 16 and even 15 operating vehicles with no official education on driver safety. Often times students earn money to buy cars with summer jobs or are gifted cars through family members, and once the keys are in hand the young boys and girls are on the road without another thought.

One student that I worked with on a regular basis was one of these individuals who I knew operated a car without having gone through any training other than what he had been taught by his family. A good-natured boy who just simply did not realize the danger that he was exposing himself and other drivers to by his naivety. The student received a rather huge ticket for speeding and driving with no insurance and registration and was deeply stressed by the issue. Unfortunately, his stress only became worse when a month later he crashed his car and was no longer able to operate his beloved, maroon-colored Mustang GT.

While I am happy that the young man was ultimately unscarred from his accident, I was simultaneously angered at his lack of perspective and forethought.

Driver education embedded in my mind at age 16 a strong sense of rules and regulations that help our public roads be safely utilized by all people. From conversations I had with the aforementioned student I knew that this sense of public responsibility was not part of his thinking process. He considered his car and his freedom to drive (although technically illegal) as an extension of his life and a tool to pursue what he desired. His goals were mostly wholesome: drive to work, drive his family members to run errands, take his very first girlfriend out on dates and impress his buddies by being able to drive them home after school.

But no matter how innocent his intentions were, fundamentally he did not understand that driving is a privilege, not a right. And his accident that ruined his beloved muscle car was in large part a product of him disrespecting the inherent danger of using an automobile.

I mention this all to make the point that driver education normalizes a sense of heightened responsibility in young people to respect the institution of our public roads and the potentially deadly power of using vehicles on these roads. Without dedicating time to learning about why the road systems of our country work as they due for the benefit of all drivers, I believe young people often fall into an individualistic mindset that encourages reckless behavior in pursuit of their own wants. Not to mention the simple fact that if you do not receive an education in driving, then you simply may not abide by the common law of the road! And this is what puts other drivers at risk.

I have seen personal friends and family members be on both sides of negligent driving and I am always surprised to see how often accidents and injuries occur from either the ignorance or active dismal of road laws. My older brother still receives medical benefits for an incident where he was T-boned at an intersection 3 years ago. On the opposite side of the spectrum I have a friend whom I have known for over a decade that is dealing with the repercussions of a DUI arrest he faced a few years ago because he was negligent in his consideration of what it takes to maintain safe public roads. In both instances, no matter what party was at fault, the common thread of respect and consideration for other drivers could have eliminated the troubles that were imposed on these individuals.

We can alleviate the pain and trouble caused by reckless driving through driver education programs that not only detail the rules and procedures of the road, but also emphasize the reasons why we abide by these rules. Texting and driving or drinking and driving are wrong morally and not just legally. We as responsible drivers need to avoid these activities not just because of the selfish want to avoid legal consequences, but because these activities make roads unsafe for any and all who choose to use them.

Driver education can help instill a sense of collective responsibility. Education should help us connect to one another and see how we are pieces of a whole that operate mutually rather than separately. Maybe with this outlook we could minimize the dangers of driving. We would be less apt to speed because we understand the logic behind why certain roads are designated at certain speeds for the safety of the neighborhood; we would be less apt to text and drive because we understand the science behind how texting lowers your ability to physically respond while driving; we would be more thoughtful about pedestrians because we understand how a single mistake can potentially alter people’s entire lives.

In my personal driving habits, I hold myself accountable to not text and drive, never operate a motor vehicle while inebriated, and maintain my vehicle to prevent unnecessary accidents and inopportune times. Even as the owner of an adorable little pug who loves to rest on my lap, I know the satisfaction I get from the little dog sitting on my lap is not worth the potential destruction I could accidentally cause by being distracted on the road. Collectively we all make our sacrifices so we can all reap the benefits.