Life is a Highway, One We Should All Drive Safely

I have been driving for two years and like others before me, I followed the time-honored tradition of having my dad take me in the family vehicle to practice & learn the challenges of the brake and gas pedal.  I also took part in a formal drivers’ education training that contained a mixture of classroom and driving time with a trained instructor. To add to my experience, I also took road trips with my mom and learned how to drive safely not only in neighborhoods, but on the interstate as well. Though the neighborhoods may have been the more difficult task as my mom preached the importance of a smooth right-hand turn. I needed the time and all three experiences to make me a safer driver and to realize the value in each.

Statistics will share that a teenage driver is 4x more likely to end up in a car accident than a driver in their 20’s.  According to teendriversource.org, “The overwhelming majority (75) of series teen driver crashes are due to “critical errors,” with the three common errors accounting for nearly half of these crashes: lack of scanning that is needed to detect and respond to hazards, going too fast for road conditions, and being distracted by something inside or outside of the vehicle” (2022). Driver’s education provides a critical foundation for kid’s today by presenting driver safety in a structured way that provides factual information in attempt to reduce the number of car accident deaths.  Students learn the fundamentals of driving, understand the risks and consequences when they don’t follow rules, gain confidence in their driving abilities in a neutral setting, and most importantly build a foundation for all the practice that they need.

The biggest step that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is experience.  Today, driver education classes are optional and only required if a family wants to get a discount on insurance.  They should be mandatory for any type of license to be issued and provide them in a way that all families can afford them.  Cost of the program can be prohibitive for some families, the time to complete the program is not flexible at most programs, and accessibility to the programs can challenge people.  The programs are still viewed as optional and structured as such but making them mandatory will change the dynamics and make them more accessible and available while reducing the cost restraints. 

Similarly, the primary requirement to move from a learners permit to a driver’s license is simply age.  Stronger requirements in a structured driving program would help engrain positive behaviors through additional experience while they grow.  A car when used incorrectly, can be just as deadly as a gun. Yet, a person is not able to purchase or own a gun until the age of 18 in most states.  That’s two years of maturity and life experience that is missing in many drivers who are sensing freedom for the first time in their life.  Just look at a high school parking lot at the end of school as those 15–18-year-old drivers get into their vehicles and race to get to the exit first.   Driver education courses provide technical knowledge, but the practical driving experience is also something that should be expanded.  A student should be required to track and submit a specific number of training hours each week.  Instructors need to be able to require additional driving time throughout the course before the student moves into the next phase of training.  Having a fixed 6-week schedule doesn’t allow for the extra time or practice a driver made need to solidify the good behavior and the driver shouldn’t be made to feel like they were falling behind.  A fluid structure allows students to move at the pace that works for them, and everyone can be more successful.

Did you know that a person can expect to be in 3 or 4 vehicle accidents in their life?  I’m young, and I haven’t been in a vehicle accident in the 1 ½ years that I have been driving.  I’ve also been extremely lucky and nobody in my family has been in an accident either.  Of course, when you have a dad who doesn’t have a scratch on his car you learn quickly to keep a safe distance from other vehicles at all times.  Driving, parking by other cars, and even parking in the garage, I have learned to always be extremely careful to not get a scratch.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t understand irresponsible drivers.  One of my friends was the first of the group to get a car and she didn’t really do well at stop signs and she tended to load up the car with every friend she could fit.  It was fun, it was a chance for us to do something without our parents, but it also wasn’t the safest for any of us.  The good news is that she’s never had a car accident, but we were probably lucky.

There are things any of us can do to become safer drivers.  Distractions are a big deal for young drivers.  If you are the lucky friend who has the first license, you are going to want to take your friends everywhere with you. Unfortunately, before you started driving you would be walking to the high school game, laughing, and joking with your friends while texting all at the same time.  That does not translate into good driving habits, it spells distraction.  To be a safe driver, give your phone to a friend and let them handle your text messages.  Volunteer to be a true co-pilot and help watch for dangers and provide directions from the GPS on your phone.  And as hard as it can be, limit the number of people in the vehicle.  The goal should always be to get to the destination safely, even if that means taking more than one vehicle.  Anyone can do this, and you don’t have to be a young driver.  I do this when my mom and I take road trips.  I didn’t understand how important the co-pilot role was until I started driving and the first time, I went through a major city I realized how helpful that can be.  It keeps you calm and is just that extra set of eyes that let you focus on driving at a higher rate of speed with many, many cars.  

All these tools are so important in reducing the number of deaths on the road. Driving should be a new step of freedom, and a chance to have more accessibility to places. However, with that freedom comes the responsibility of being a safe driver. With more emphasis on universal driver’s education, more experience requirements, and everyone taking personal responsibility for their driving we will be able to prevent unnecessary deaths from occurring. Let’s all do our part to make sure everyone can get the chance to drive.