Driver education is critical. Why?

Driver Education is Critical. Why?

As someone with diagnosed anxiety disorder, learning to drive was not the most pleasant experience. Each time I got behind the wheel, all I could think about were the negative possibilities. My parents, who were terrified of me getting behind the wheel as well, definitely did not help the situation. It took a long time and several in-car sessions before I was comfortable enough to get behind the wheel again. I will forever be thankful for my amazing instructors throughout the driver education process; they truly are to thank for my driving skills today. While I am not the best at parking, I consider myself a safe and responsible driver. With no accidents or tickets since I received my license in December of 2020, I think others would also agree.

Throughout my driver education, I was able to truly learn the importance of taking the classes. My instructor was insanely kind and helpful, which I feel definitely added to my learning of the material. During this course, I was able to listen to lectures, watch informative videos, and learn helpful driving tips. Overall, I am confident that the videos shown in my classes contributed a great deal to my driving knowledge. A handful of the videos were directed toward accident avoidance, showing real-life stories of accident survivors. This content truly showed me how serious accidents can be; they subconsciously made me a more responsible driver.

I firmly believe that several actions can be taken to reduce the yearly death toll due to driving, starting with government action. One way to encourage safer driving is to increase the level of consequence associated with texting and driving. I think that this is a major issue, if not the biggest, concern with drivers. Another large driving issue is drinking and driving. I work at a small cocktail bar in my hometown, so I am always seeing people driving home while intoxicated. I think that a great way to encourage people to take alternate ways home is to offer some sort of rewards system. If someone can present proof of them booking an Uber, Lyft, etc., bars could punch some sort of card that gets said customer a discount or free item at some point. Frankly, safe driving should be a given and is basic knowledge, but I think that this would be a great idea: everyone loves free items! While laws and various reward systems are a great way to enforce safe driving, responsibility among drivers has to be present as well. Texting while driving is such a simple fix, yet overlooked by many. A great way to counteract this is to purchase some sort of phone mount. I personally keep one clipped to my vent, and it has helped tremendously when I need to look at directions. The steps to safer driving are a simple fix, and I believe that everyone should be taking steps to be more responsible on the road.

Unfortunately, I have witnessed my friends and family practicing unsafe driving. Before I received my license, my dad would have to drive me to work several times a week. He often texted while driving, which is pretty nerve-wracking when you are the one in the passenger’s seat. One way that I counteracted this behavior was to simply tell him to put his phone down and pay attention to the road, which was always effective. While friends, family, nor myself have caused any accidents, they have been in quite a few due to other’s unsafe driving. Recently, my friend’s car was completely totaled due to a lack of attention from another driver. This individual “cut her off” on the road, completely destroying the entire front end to my friend’s car. Thankfully she was unharmed, but it is certainly scary to think that someone close to me could be harmed in an instant due to lack of responsibility from other drivers.

The steps to being a more responsible and conscientious driver can be easily achieved. Clearly, the main rule to follow is to never take your eyes off the road. With technology being so prevalent in our day-to-day lives though, this can be tricky for some. As previously mentioned, a phone mount has been a great addition to my driving experience. If I am in the car with someone who does not have a mount and needs help with directions, I always volunteer to read them off. This easy fix has greatly decreased the amount of unsafe driving among my friends and family. Another rule I follow is to always offer a ride to anyone who is intoxicated. For example, when my parents go out for a fun night, I always offer to be their designated driver. I would much rather drop what I am doing and go pick someone up than have them get in an accident. Even if I am not necessarily close with the person, I always make sure to offer or make sure they have some sort of scheduled ride home.

Practicing safe driving is always a top priority, and I firmly believe it is something that everyone should strive for each time they get behind the wheel. Responsible driving can be achieved in several ways, and many of them are simple fixes. Certain products, reminders from family or friends, and being focused on the road can certainly save lives. My driver education classes definitely were a major factor in learning safe driving, and I am very grateful for the knowledge I acquired during the course.