Drivers ed

Essay:

Educated drivers are smarter drivers; smarter drivers are safer drivers. According to the Annual Global Road Crash Statistics about 1.35 million people die in road crashes each year, or about 37 hundred people every day. Those are lives lost. Those are individuals, each with lives, loved ones. That does not even account for the 20-50 million nonfatal injuries, to which some may never fully recover. Drivers ed is imperative in reducing those numbers. A study from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln found that drivers who had not completed drivers ed were twenty-four percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident and sixteen percent more likely to have an accident themselves. If all drivers were properly educated, and the number of fatal or injury accidents went down almost a quarter that would be 342 thousand lives saved every year.

Because it is so obvious the importance of drivers ed in reducing the number of deaths due to automobile accidents the next step would be to provide drivers ed to those lacking. Cuts on costs of insurance for taking drivers ed is a good incentive for people to take it but it does not reach everyone. Drivers ed should be well funded and efficient in teaching people about safety on the road.

I have been in an accident before. Driving back from Colorado I was following my family in a car behind them. On the two-lane road we were on they passed the car in front of them and without thoroughly checking, I went to do the same. Due to my neglect I did not see the car that was now coming straight at me. With my reflexes I slammed the brakes and turned the car back into my lane to avoid hitting both the car I was trying to pass and the one in front of me. Fortunately, I missed both cars but unfortunately this maneuver lost me control of the vehicle and it swerved out the road, flipping and landing in a ditch. Luckily, nobody was hurt and the only damage to anything was to the car, but it shook me up. It showed me to always pay careful attention to my actions as a driver. One of the steps I have taken to becoming a better driver. There is nothing more important while driving than to pay attention to the road and the other cars, all else is a distraction because most accidents are not so lucky.