Lessons I have learned

When I first started Drivers Ed, I had very little driving experience.   To be honest, I still thought you used two different feet for the brake and the accelerator.    I was pretty wet behind the ears when it came to being behind the wheel of a car.  My instructor was a retired police officer.  He gave me a perspective on driving that I really appreciated.   He had firsthand experience dealing with accidents and deaths from driving and he did not sugar coat the information for us.   He started the class by telling us a story about two teen drivers who had been driving at night and had been drinking and speeding and crashed into a tree.  The driver was killed instantly.  The passenger was paralyzed.  It was a sobering story. Driver education teaches you the rules of driving.   While putting in the hours practicing driving is important, learning the laws of the road is imperative to safe driving.   Learning to anticipate other drivers’ moves and avoiding hazards is important to safe driving.  Teens tend to listen more to professionals than their own parents, so learning this information from a trained drivers education instructor can be more motivational and beneficial to the student.   Accidents are the leading cause of deaths for teenagers.   So many of these accidents could have been prevented.  

A big step that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is teaching how distractions while driving, such as looking at your phone can be a leading cause of accidents and death.  It takes only a second to be distracted by changing the song you are listening to, looking at your phone to see who texted you, taking a selfie.  In that quick second, an accident can occur.  Limiting the distractions while you drive can be a lifesaving decision.  According to the CDC, in 2019, 39% of high school students admitted to texting or emailing while driving.  Students who texted or emailed while driving were also more likely to report other risk behaviors.  They were more likely to not always wear a seat belt; more likely to ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol and more likely to drive after drinking alcohol.   There is so much more at risk than just yourself being hurt or killed if you are distracted by driving.   The CDC references that about 1 in 5 of the people who died in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2018 were not in vehicles―they were walking, riding their bikes, or otherwise outside a vehicle.  

My grandfather was killed in a car accident two miles from his home.  He was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the car.  My family was in the hospital with him for days while he was on life support waiting for a sign of brain activity.  My grandmother finally had to make the hard decision of pulling him from life support.  Had he been wearing a seatbelt, he would probably still be with us today.  The passenger in the car was wearing a seatbelt and survived.  Once you go through a loss that is so deeply personal to you, it really affects the way you drive and how you view being in a car.    I am very aware of the road when I am driving and as a passenger I am also very quick to speak up if one of my friends or family members are driving irresponsibly.    Teenagers have some of the lowest rates of seat belt use when compared with other age groups.   The “seatbelts save lives” motto of the past has become antiquated to the younger generation.  I know firsthand the importance of a seatbelt and will not start driving until all of my passengers are wearing their seatbelt correctly. 

I think one of the biggest steps I can take to be a safer driver is to leave my phone in my backpack and put the backpack in the backseat of the car.   That way it is far away from me and not a distraction if I see it light up or hear it buzz.   Out of sight out of mind.   I also tend to play my music really loud.   This can be a big distraction for me as I get so wrapped up jamming to the song that I forget to be paying attention to my mirrors and my surroundings.  This is also something I can do to help my friends too as we all like to listen to music together and playing loud music and singing along with your friends in the car is not great for staying alert and focused.  Overall, respecting the rules of the road both as a driver and passenger will be the best way to keep myself and others safe.