The Importance of New Gen Drivers

Driver education is essential in reducing the number of deaths on the road as it equips everyone, especially new drivers, with knowledge to avoid getting into accidents more often. With the amount of teenagers hitting the road for the first time every year, a lack of driver education provided to impressionable young adults could possibly result in a generation of drivers who might not know who has the right of way at a 4 way stop, or not knowing you have to yield for traffic on a left turn when it’s green. Without essential traffic knowledge, these drivers become a danger to themselves and others on the road. Some steps that could be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving would be first to address and even enforce the importance of understanding traffic rules through educations courses statewide. By making drivers tests more extensive in proving ones knowledge of traffic laws, there is less of a chance for drivers to pass tests and still lack knowledge to drive safely on the road. I’ve had multiple experiences of irresponsible driving, with being in two accidents with my brother, and personally blowing out a tire on a sewer curb on top of countless close encounters of getting into a car crash, I can say from experience that the majority of accidents regarding irresponsible driving is from the driver being distracted, whether it be from others in the car or not paying attention traffic around them. Florida Teen Sage Driving Coalition says that motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of deaths for teens, and drivers who are 16 or 17 are the age group with the highest crash rates of any group. Steps that have already been implemented by Florida for young drivers by requiring new drivers to have a graduated drivers license, which maximizes the driving experience for teenagers with parental supervisor for 12 months before they can drive on their own. FTSDC also says that just one teen passenger in the car with a new driver can increase the chance of a fatal crash by 44%, and 3 teen passengers increase the chance by 307%. So by restricting and educating young drivers before they can hit the road on their own, new drivers can learn how to drive safely and reduce their chance of becoming another statistic. But to educate others on how to drive more safely I can talk to my friends and give them information about information regarding car accidents. I also volunteer often with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which specifically operates to inform drivers and young adults with driving under the influence prevention as well as “recipes for the road”, providing driver education and safety precautions for all ages.