The importance of safe driving

Being able to drive on your own at just 16 years old is an extremely liberating experience for a lot of teens who get their driver’s license. However, this sense of freedom often leads to a disregard for rules and good judgement. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teens ages 15-20. Not having a voice of reason behind the wheel, especially so young, can lead to bad decisions like speeding, making incomplete stops, running red lights, not using turn signals, texting or being under the influence while driving, and much more. If as a teen one drives recklessly and frequently exhibits these behaviors, it will form bad habits and they will remain an unsafe driver into adulthood as well. A sense of control leads to a feeling of safety that isn’t always justified, for example, a much greater percentage of americans are afraid of traveling by flight than by car because they are not in control of the plane, but there were only 257 plane related fatalities recorded for 2019 compared to 38,000 in 2019 who died from car crashes. Because it is so easy to fall into bad driving habits and have a false sense of security especially when you are young, proper driver education is extremely vital to developing safe drivers and safer roads for everyone.

Driver’s education programs, like the free courses offered through the school system, help to educate young drivers about how to be a safe driver. I took my school’s driver’s education course in eleventh grade and iit helped me astronomically to become a better, safer, and more skilled driver. Driver’s education courses not only give you hands on experience on the road with a qualified instructor and teach you to perform basic but vital maneuvers with a car, they teach you textbook knowledge to help you understand your surroundings on the road and what to do in dangerous situations. The average annual number of highway fatalities is more than half of those who died in the Vietnam war, and dozens of people lose their lives everyday in car accidents. However, if everyone was required to take a driver’s education course to learn good driving habits when they were young, those numbers would drop. Saldy, it is not the case that all teens are required to enroll in these courses, but as a safe and knowledgeable driver, you can help others around you to become safer on the road by correcting bad habits when riding as a passenger or sharing the dangers of reckless behaviors like texting or drinking and driving with your friends and family in person or through social media.

Personally, my family is home to several safe drivers and I usually don’t have to experience reckless or unsafe driving, but having been driven by a friend’s parents who speed and pass others recklessly, I can say that it is a very scary experience. When driving, think of not only yourself but of the passengers of your vehicle and encourage others to do the same. Would arriving at your destination a few minutes earlier be worth your passenger’s life? Driving is extremely common, and a vast majority of people of age drive frequently, but it is crucial to note that just because driving is a common task, does not mean it is not dangerous and does not have serious consequences. An action as small as not making a complete stop or looking at your phone for just a second while driving can lead to the death of you and your passengers.

It is always important to remember as well, that no one is a perfect driver, even driving instructors and police officers get into car accidents and to ensure that you are the safest driver you can be, always practice good habits and be aware of other drivers around you. Being negligent on the road is far too common and to ensure the safety of ourselves and everyone on the roads, proper driver education is vital as well as understanding the consequences and possible outcomes of driving. Wearing seatbelts, driving well rested, performing regular car maintenance, minimizing distractions, and obeying traffic laws are all behaviors that save lives every day.