The Importance of Drivers Ed

Addressing
the Flaws in Teen Drivers ed

Finally
turning sixteen is a day long anticipated by millions of young
drivers around the world. Lucky enough to have my own vehicle,
driving represented an unprecedented amount of independence to me.
Meeting up with friends became easier than ever before…no more
rides from mom or Ubers. However, with this immense amount of power
comes a proportional amount of responsibility, which is what I think
we often forget. 

As
a young child sitting in the car seat, I remember my mom constantly
emphasizing, “Jay, driving a car is like driving a massive bomb.
You are putting your life in jeopardy just by stepping behind the
wheel.”  These words will forever stay with me and I was
reminded of them with a recent accident. It was a Saturday morning
and I had just pulled into Roosevelt High School for a debate
tournament. However, my day shifted completely when an old lady
t-boned my car. She backed right out of her spot into me, slamming my
car’s entire right side panel. I frantically exited my vehicle to
assess the damage and get pictures when she said “let me get my
insurance from the glove box” before bolting. I was a shocked,
naive 18 year old that couldn’t believe an old lady would ever flee
a helpless teenager. Even with her license plate and picture of her
face, the car wasn’t registered under her name. The red paint from
her Buick stained on my car to this day is a constant reminder of my
mishandling of the situation. I had no idea what to do and failed to
call the police promptly. We never received compensation for over
$2,000 in damage. 

While
my incident may be a miniscule example, it is a microcosm of the
larger problem at hand, the way drivers ed is taught.
Circumstances and risk factors vary by demographic. Technology is
advancing so rapidly and our priorities should shift to meet changing
times. If we develop separate courses for teenagers emphasizing risks
of texting while driving, a major issue that’s only worsening, we
could make a change in the statistics. Because 16 year olds are twice
as likely to get into an accident as mature and experienced 21+
drivers, the curriculum must be reformed to ensure the right
precautionary education is being implemented, including dealing with
an accident correctly. 

Many
people my age leave the course running while they multitask and only
come back for the mandatory tests and quizzes. This “bare minimum”
mentality only hinders everyone’s safety. Considering that the #1
cause of death for teens is car accidents, we must get teenagers more
engaged and excited to learn rather than force them to sit through
monotonous videos. Special attention to the risks that predominantly
affects teens would be instrumental in improving drivers safety
nationwide. And I know that if I had paid full attention to a course
designed for teenagers, I would have been far more prepared for my
incident.