The Impact of Drivers Education

Yanyua Vue

March 30, 2021

The Impact of Drivers Education

My experience with driving was insightful and gave me awareness of the impact of driver’s education. When I started going to my drivers ed class, it was in the middle of the 2020 COVID pandemic. Learning about driving online was challenging. I had to help my family with cooking and chores while balancing my homework in high school, including driver’s education. Regardless, I passed my driver’s education class. However, it wasn’t easy to find time to practice driving. My family and I moved to South Carolina and I started college right after we moved. The pandemic itself did not help with my driving. It wasn’t until winter break that I started to practice driving for my driver’s license. While learning how to drive in my high school’s driver’s education and practicing driving, I became more confident with the knowledge and skills overtime. It also made me aware of how easy it could be to get involved in a car crash. My experience in a minor crash reinforced that idea. It gave me insight of what victims of a crash experienced and the importance of driving safely and knowledgeably. With my experience in a car crash and my learning in driver’s education class, I concluded that driver education is important for drivers to know and use.

When I was learning about driving in my drivers ed class, the instructor encouraged us to keep learning about driving. Driver’s education helps to prevent accidents. Educating people in driving safely will help them learn the rules of the road and prepare drivers for situations. In my class, we focused on the driver’s manual. The driver’s manual contains information on how to drive and the rules of the road. Learning how to drive will help decrease the number of deaths in car accidents because people can use maneuvers, such as the hand over hand technique, to easily move the vehicle in a direction and being safe. Learning the rules of the road will also be important since everyone follows them, and its purpose is to help everyone be safe while driving. It will greatly benefit drivers, like inexperienced drivers, since most drivers will follow the rules and know what to do in a situation. An example of when to use the rules of the road is what to do when you want to go pass another car and when to do it. Driver education is important in reducing car accidents because it provides the same information that all drivers use when driving and following the rules of the road will help drivers be safe on the road.

Some steps that can help decrease the number of deaths for beginner drivers is reading the driver’s manual and practicing driving in driver’s education class. Understanding the rules of the road is important because it is what everyone follows and it’s how to drive safely. Practicing driving will also help because it can prepare them for driving on the road. It lets people know what they can work on when it comes to driving. When I started driving, I realized I had a hard time turning into narrow roads. So, I slowed down when turning and practiced so I could successfully make the turns. For experienced drivers, they should be reminded to drive safely. There are already some ads near the highway that remind them to drive safely but it might not be enough. There is no guarantee that drivers in general will see the signs while driving, and experienced drivers might not want to go to driver’s class. One idea that can help is that the DMV can provide a sticker for their dashboard to remind them how to safely drive. It is on something that will not block their view of the road and it is the first thing they see when getting in the vehicle. Reading the driver’s manual, understanding the rules of the road, practicing and having a reminder near you will help drivers be safe and help decrease the number of deaths.

Despite the best efforts by educators informing people how to drive safely, many people get into car accidents like me. I have not seen any of my friends or family members drive unsafely, although someone in my immediate family has been into a car crash. They explained their crash was sudden and they saw their life flash before their eyes. They were only in a minor crash that only dented the side of the van, but they were shaken by the experience. I have been in a minor car crash, though no one got hurt and there were no damages to public property. Our car was slightly dented and was looked over if there were any damages on the vehicle. This gave me more experience and empathy towards people that get into severe car crashes.

After my experiences, I took steps in being a better driver and how I can help others be better drivers. Some steps I have taken and plan to take to be a better and safer driver is rereading the manual, preparing myself when I’m about to drive and know where my destination is. I don’t have to reread the manual every time before I go drive, but it is assuring to know how to drive different turns and dealing with different situations when I drive to my destination. Mentally preparing myself helps me focus on controlling the car and being aware of the road when driving. Finally, knowing my destination helps because I can anticipate where to turn and what time I should leave to the destination. To help others be safe on the road, I recommend others to read the manual and stay close to the rules. The driver’s manual is easily accessible from the department of motor vehicles website and it contains information on how to drive that everyone should closely follow.