Driver Education Increases Awareness and Mindful Driving

Driver Education Increases Awareness and Mindful Driving

This past week and just about three months shy of my 18^th birthday, I received my driver’s license. I was not in a rush to get a license even though many of my friends have had their licenses for nearly two years. While it seemed exciting in some ways, the other things I heard about actually put me off driving. That is because some of them already experiencing at least one auto accident while another has been unlucky with three accidents. Then, there is the middle school friend who died with his family after their car was struck by a driver who ran a red light.

Combined with watching many cars narrowly hit my mom while driving to school and volleyball practice, I just was not sure I wanted to drive. For example, we were turning into school one morning and my mom had the green arrow to turn. But, this young kid showing off in his new Mustang peeled out of the parking lot on a right turn on red, not noticing my mom coming toward him. Of course, my mom stopped because she said it was better to not hit his car than to stand her ground that she had the right of way. He sped away, flipping my mom off although she had done nothing wrong. All I could see was how scary it was out there, especially when viewing the extraordinary number of deaths as a result of driving.

However, once I started taking my online driving education courses that I started feeling more confident about driving. The courses explained the rules and how to stay safe and alert on the road. It was then that I could see the value of driver education rather than dreading the many hours of learning required for my license. One of the main reasons this education is so important is that does not just tell you a list of rules to follow while driving, which so many people ignore, but it also explains why these rules exist. For example, videos on why breaking early or driving at lower speeds in residential areas is so important helped me understand why these behaviors helped keep those in the car safe along with those in other vehicles or even pedestrians on the road. Understanding what these rules can do gives drivers-in-training a life-saving reason to follow them.

Still, there are people who do not follow the rules, continuing to speed, change lanes erratically, and use their smartphones while driving. Although new drivers must take driver education courses, it seems like those that have been on the road for a while are the ones that may also need ongoing education if these deaths by vehicles are to be reduced at all. If jobs require continuing education for licenses and certifications, maybe drivers need to prove that they can pass both a written and virtual reality driving course where they drive like they would on the road.

Another option that may help is to have on-board alert systems. For example, I learned to drive in my parent’s Ford Fusion hybrid. It has a simple driver training program that shows acceleration, breaking, and cruising to indicate if the driver is being efficient in terms of how they are accelerating and breaking to maximize the fuel used in the hybrid. It seems like this could be adapted to alert the driver to other good or bad driving behavior. More vehicles are adding these smart features, and many might be adapted to help remind drivers when they are doing a dangerous maneuver. Maybe if that data was also sent back to their insurance company and their rates went up or down in relation to that behavior they might have an incentive to drive more safely.

Finally, I know I am a new driver and have years to go before I can be considered experienced. However, I still think I can be a model for other drivers by adhering to the rules of the road and being alert to what is happening around me. Learning from my mom who has avoided many accidents due to other people’s bad driving, I realize that driving sometimes means driving more for other people and in response to what you think they might do. I keep my smartphone in the closed center console so I am not tempted to look at it even while stopped at a red light. Also, it is important to not do things that may make these other aggressive drivers more dangerous. Instead, I make sure I get out of their way. Yet, if I am at a turn and they are honking wildly at me to go and I deem it not safe, I have learned to not react to them because they do not dictate my driving. The rules of the road are my “back seat driver” who actually knows best.

Am I still a bit scared out on the roads? Absolutely, but I also have much more confidence after taking online driving courses and using virtual driving practice games. One of the things I look forward to doing is taking a defensive driving course with my Dad this Spring to add to my understanding of driving and driver behavior. By not being in a hurry, being courteous of others, and paying attention to the road conditions and other vehicles, I hope to contribute to safer roads.