Danger Prevention through Education: Steps Toward a Safe Driving Future

Emoni Francis

Danger Prevention through Education: Steps Toward a Safe Driving Future

Drivers ed is the foundation in which individuals can learn the fundamentals of not only how to drive on the road, but how to do so safely. When driving, individuals must take into account their lives as well as the lives of others; In some cases, like the car crash my mother unfortunately experienced, individuals do not fully understand or know the importance of safe driving. In 2017, my mother was in a collision that was caused by a reckless driver who was texting while driving. That instance the person made the irresponsible decision to text on their phone as they drove, putting others’ lives at risk. Even though no one died in the crash, my mother suffered a herniated disk in her back and neck still to this day. Undoubtedly, drivers ed is significant in reducing incidents such as this or deaths as a result of improper driving; it teaches individuals the skills they need to be equipped with, to implement good driving practices and how to maneuver on the road cautiously.

Having driving skills is essential to maintaining safety on the road, and educating individuals on this could assist them in preventing accidents. These skills could be paying attention to your surroundings, what to do in emergencies, etc. According to the National Safety Council reports, nearly 1.6 million crashes per year in the United States are because of distracted drivers. In other words, innocent people are harmed or even die every year from drivers who may fail to recognize the skills to drive with vigilance and realize how their bad habits can affect others. All in all, the skills individuals continuously utilize on the road could be a matter of life or death.

Being able to maneuver on the road in a cautious manner is something an individual could acquire through training. Training could include how to operate a vehicle correctly, avoid accidents, etc. For new drivers, like teens, this is especially important; as claimed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 300,000 teens treated in medical facilities for injuries suffered from a car crash, and nearly 2,500 died in the United States in 2017. For new drivers, having experience behind the wheel and being educated on how to drive could potentially increase their chances of being discreet drivers in their future. In short, since driving can be so unpredictable, individuals must be prepared as they drive at all times.

Overall, obtaining driving skills and knowing how to drive cautiously ensures that an individual takes the steps they need to drive a car adequately given any circumstance they may be in on the road. Ways I can become a better/safe driver is through practicing, paying close attention ahead of me while driving, or obeying traffic laws. Moreover, ways in which I can help others become safe drivers is by spreading the news on how driving habits can affect the lives of people, like my mother, and explain the importance of drivers ed.