Education Doesn’t Stop After Drivers Ed.

Safe driving is a saying that many people hear and dismiss. When you’re driving down the road on a normal day you feel invincible. This leads to a false sense of security and immunity, and the moment you let your guard down could be the last moment of your life.

          As a 15-year-old in Texas, I am currently undergoing the drivers ed training process. Because the thought of being behind the wheel has brought me extraordinary anxiety for years, I have never had trouble understanding the alarming facts and risks of driving.  Though I have never been in a car accident of any kind, I have witnessed my parents and family friends drive irresponsibly. One time, my friend’s dad was driving us home after a movie very late at night and made many unsafe maneuvers such as swerving because of his drowsiness. This is an example of how the safety of the driver and passengers was not taken as seriously as it should have been. A wise person would’ve let someone else drive or taken initiatives to not be drowsy as we learned in our drivers ed courses, which unfortunately seem to be quite frequently forgotten.

As soon as a person gets their license, all the hours of drivers ed are history! Besides renewing their license every few years, there’s no more required training or education for the rest of one’s life! Because of this, many people welcome their newfound freedom without upholding the responsibility. They begin to become too comfortable with the road and disregard certain rules they see as unnecessary or annoying to follow. These include exceeding the speed limit, turning or changing lanes without a signal, not stopping at stop signs, and more. A proposition to help discourage these habits could be: having people take bi-annual online courses to refresh their driving education. These courses could include some of the basic principles learned during drivers ed with updated rules, regulations and statistics. This small step could result in more people remembering and following the rules of the road and therefore making it safer for everyone. 

I can take steps to become a better and safer driver by learning defensive techniques and staying increasingly aware of my surroundings in case an emergency maneuver is needed. I can also help my friends and peers when in the car by paying attention to the driving atmosphere and making them aware of signs or situations they may have missed. Just because someone is in the driver seat doesn’t mean they couldn’t use or appreciate any help! Passengers can help with navigation, the radio, or other aspects that the driver may not be able to execute at the time.

In conclusion, if more steps are taken to educate the public even after awarding a license, and we all as drivers do our best to help ourselves and each other be safer on the roads, we could lower the death rate and make driving be a safer task for everyone.