The Importance of Drivers ed

Every year 1.35 million people lose their life in an automobile accident of some sort. That’s about 3,700 people every day globally. Many of these accidents are not accidents, they are the result of drivers driving irresponsibly on the road. In my experiences I have witnessed my own mother driving irresponsibly, other young drivers driving with their friends irresponsibly, cars racing each other, etc. Seeing these incidents helps me to realize the importance of driving safely, unless I want an untimely death as well. I have completed drivers ed; I have practiced many hours with my parents in the car and have adhered to the guidelines presented by the government for a teen driver with a license. I ensure that my passengers wear seat belts (including myself) and I drive the speed limit. All these steps have been learned from completing drivers ed successfully, but many people do not even complete drivers ed. A lot of individuals wait until they are 18, because legally they are not required to complete drivers ed before getting their license. If that law was changed, then I think the number of deaths might reduce significantly. Of course, we cannot guarantee that our drivers will not drive irresponsibly afterwards, but at least they will have been given a strong foundation of how someone should drive on the road. Another step that might be beneficial is doing more frequent behind-the-wheel exams. Currently, an individual will take the behind-the-wheel exam to get their license initially and as long as they keep a good track record, they do not have to take another behind-the-wheel exam. Potentially, an individual could only take one behind-the-wheel exam which could show that they are a safe driver or that they are just very lucky and have gotten away with not getting in too many accidents. These two steps could potentially help reduce the number of deaths substantially if introduced correctly.