The Importance of Psychology in Drivers ed

A crucial subject is missing in the drivers ed curriculum: psychology, the study of the human mind and behavior. Psychology deepens one’s understanding of attention, decision-making, and learning. All of which are essential components of driving. Everyone has a brain, but many know little about its real capabilities. One of the most obvious holes in people’s understanding of the human mind is multitasking. The human brain can’t multitask effectively because a person’s focus can be spent on only one thing at a time. When someone tries to focus on multiple things at once, the brain is switching its focus between different tasks rather than dividing its attention between them.

Despite this, many people believe they are capable of focusing on multiple things at once. In fact, those who are confident in their multitasking abilities are worse at it than those who lack this confidence. A study at Stanford University found that frequent multitaskers had more difficulty organizing their thoughts and were slower at switching between tasks. These findings can be explained by the Dunning-Kruger effect, which states that an individual’s incompetence in a particular area masks his/her ability to acknowledge that incompetence. Those who are confident in their multitasking abilities are not as good at it as they believe. This mindset can create a dangerous situation when a confident multitasker gets behind the wheel. They are more inclined to divide their attention while driving because they incorrectly believe they are good at it. Therefore, more widespread knowledge of the fact that humans are incapable of multitasking can influence people’s decisions while they are in the driver’s seat. They will think twice before they pick up their phone to answer a text or reach for that burger while driving. This knowledge can reduce the number of deaths related to distracted driving.

It is essential to learn about the rules of the road and how to operate a vehicle but without a good understanding of how the brain stores and recalls information, students may forget this information. Therefore, another aspect of psychology that should be included in drivers ed is learning. Students should be taught concepts such as spaced repetition, mnemonic devices, and memory decay. By using more effective learning techniques, students will better remember essential driving information, making them more knowledgeable drivers and reducing their risk of causing a vehicle accident.

The fact that distracted driving is dangerous is not a new concept. Despite this, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration estimated 40,000 people were injured in crashes involving distracted driving in 2018. When I see family members or friends trying to use their phone or eat while driving, I inform them of humans’ inability to multitask. When I drive, I silence my phone and put it out of reach to prevent distraction. Driving is not just about vehicles and roads. It’s also about the people driving those vehicles. Drivers ed should be about more than how to drive. It should also be about the brain.