Saving Lives Through Education

New
drivers are typically eager to get behind the wheel. While that
eagerness may be accompanied with nervousness, the overall freedom
that comes with getting a license is an intoxicating feeling. Do
young drivers let that fervor to be on the road keep them from truly
understanding the consequences of inattentive driving? As a nation,
how can we lower these alarming statistics of driving-related deaths?

For
starters, the more educated a person is on a subject, the less likely
they are to make errors. Not all states require that a driver takes
drivers ed classes, especially if that new driver is over
the age of eighteen. This diminishes the importance of driver’s
education, even though it should be imperative that all new drivers
are armed with as much information as they can be before they hit the
road. If everyone was required to take drivers ed. before they
were allowed to get their license, it’s possible that America would
see a reduced number of deaths related to new drivers.

As
a part of stressing the importance of drivers ed, it’s
also important that we take steps to emphasize safety in a positive,
loving way. New drivers may respond better if they are educated from
a viewpoint of concern for their personal safety, as opposed to using
fear-mongering and scare tactics. Overwhelming a driver with
statistics seems less personal, because often times it can be hard to
see past the numbers on paper and realize that those numbers
represent physical, human lives. We should also be teaching patience.
New drivers need to understand that their lives are much more
important than driving recklessly in order to arrive on time to work,
school, etc. This could be essential in saving young lives.

Fortunately,
I have never been in an accident. I have, however, experienced a few
close calls. For example, one night I was driving home when a car in
the opposite lane from me came around a curve and passed the car in
front of them. By passing that car around a curve and on a double
yellow line, they were choosing to be selfish and impatient. They
almost hit me in my lane, but luckily I had enough room to get over
and out of the way. Almost being in a serious car accident made me
able to see firsthand what the consequences of being a reckless and
impatient driver could be and how important it is to be vigilant. We
should constantly be aware of other drivers and the mistakes they
might make. In addition to that, I would again recommend to just be
patient. It’s okay to be late. The notification on your phone can
wait. I believe that applying these tactics can help myself and
others to drive safer.

There
are an infinite number of ways to reduce driving-related accidents.
Unfortunately, not everything can change at once. However, by making
drivers ed a priority, we are taking steps in the right
direction.