Drivers Ed: A Much Needed Change

Drivers ed: A Change is Needed

Today, driving is a major part of people’s lives; It is the main form of transportation. With cars being so common in everyday life, car accidents are sometimes inevitable. An average of six million car accidents happen every year. In 50% of those accidents, people are injured. The number one reason for most accidents is distracted driving with reckless driving following close behind. Many people are often in a rush, have forgotten certain practices, or, for those who did not go to driving school, never learned pertinent skills. Many people miss out on important topics when they skip driver’s school. There are a multitude of reasons as to why people do not go to drivers ed, the main one being the cost, however we cannot have people on the road endangering others because they cannot afford it. To better prepare people for the road, drivers ed should be taught to younger ages.

Driving was something that I have wanted to do for a long time. Even when I was younger, I had a passion for being behind the wheel. I would take the keys of any person unwise enough to leave them lying around. My first car accident, at three, happened because my sister left her keys out in the open. I had decided that day was the day. I grabbed her keys, ran outside, hopped into her car, put the key into the ignition, and popped the gearshift into reverse. The car ended up crashing into the neighbor’s car across the street. Now I am not going to say that at the age of three I should have been taught about the basics of road safety, but I do believe that road education should be implemented starting at middle school. Most people begin taking driving classes in high school so by teaching them at the middle school level, it will not only be fresh in their mind, but they will also be able to have a better understanding of what is being taught in drivers ed.

Drivers ed teaches people how to be a defensive driver, driving safety, and the basics of driving. Going to driver’s school helps you learn to be a safe driver for both yourself and others on the road. It is a vital part to being a good driver, however many people skip over this step and wait till they are 18 to get their learner’s license. If the people who do not go to driver’s school are not properly educated about being a defensive driver, they put everyone on the road at risk. Letting uneducated drivers onto the road greatly increases the chances of an accident happening, directly increasing the amount of deaths that occur.

By allowing people to skip over driving school it is allowing people who are not suited for the road to endanger everyone around them. The first step in helping reduce the number of deaths is to make driving school mandatory. This may seem impossible due to prices of the schools however if everyone is required to go to driving school the prices will lower naturally since everyone is going to be doing it. Another way to keep everyone on the road safe is to add another step to keeping your license. Everyone with any type of negative driving record should be required to come in every two years to retake the road test. This guarantees that those with driving problems stay on their toes. This insures that not only everyone will have been educated in how to be a safe driver, but that they can also continuously improve on their driving.