Drivers ed Could Save Your Life

Drivers ed Could Save Your Life

One of the most defining events in a teenager’s life is getting their driver’s license. However, driving a car has its risks. Every year, 15-20 year-old drivers account for 6.4% of car accidents. To put that in perspective, that is 384,000 car accidents among teenagers per year. Many of these teenage car accidents happen due to being distracted or having poor education on how to drive safely. Drivers ed is an easy way to avoid getting into a car crash since it teaches you ways of preventing accidents.

One good example of the effectiveness of drivers ed and its importance is a 2015 study from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The study followed over 150,000 teens and showed that subjects who never took a drivers ed course were 75% more likely to get a ticket, 24% more likely to get into a fatal or serious accident, and 16% more likely to get into a car accident in general. This study disproved a 1980’s study that questioned drivers ed’s effectiveness. These numbers show how helpful drivers ed can be for the safety of the driver and others on the road. This is especially important as the life of the driver and passengers may be on the line.

Drivers ed can also teach a teenager better personal responsibility and decision-making. When driving a car, a whole new world of possibilities is unlocked for a teenager. There is a lot of responsibility with this newfound freedom. Many bad choices can be made with these new freedoms that could lead to a fatal car crash. For example, texting while driving is a bad decision. In Michigan’s drivers ed curriculum guide, numerous lessons involve teaching responsibility and good decision making. The guide clearly states that “The student will know and understand that driving is a complex task that involves risk and decisions about risk taking”. As you can see, good decision making skills and better responsibility are also taught in drivers ed.

In conclusion, drivers ed can be helpful in personal responsibility, making decisions, and for staying safe on the road. Not only would you be a smarter and better driver, but drivers ed could save your life.