Freshly Licensed and Unaware

“You drive like a careful grandma.” My driving instructor poked some fun at me, and I laughed in response. I was nervous when I was behind the wheel. I was responsible for my life, my instructors, and my car. I had no shame in driving like a grandma if that meant I was being safe. Ironically, that was the same day I illegally left-turned onto the wrong side of the road, and I failed to realize until my instructor told me. While this moment was rather embarrassing, and my instructor laughed for about 10 minutes after he told me to safely pull over, I sighed with relief that he was there. I wouldn’t have known what to do if I didn’t have someone experienced there, and I would take that embarrassing moment with my instructor any day over a wreck from a silly mistake. So when people ask why I believe driver’s education is important, it’s because of the moments like those that I went through when I was learning how to drive. Driver’s education teaches young adults the rules of the road, while also allowing them to make mistakes in a comfortable environment, rather than sending them out into a world of driving that is unpredictable and hectic.

As the new world of freshly licensed drivers hits the roads, it is important to teach them the fatal consequences that come with such a large responsibility. While the rules of the road may seem simple, like following the speed limit, no texting and driving, and paying attention to the road, many rules tend to be overlooked. Some new drivers learn these rules just from observation: we watch our parents drive, our siblings, and friends that are of age. Other new drivers learn the rules from drivers ed, and most times, the one that took drivers ed tends to avoid the ticket or accident. A study conducted by the Nebraska Safety Council even confirms that students that have not completed driver’s ed are 75% more likely to receive a ticket, and 24% more likely to have a fatal accident. (Reed) Driver’s ed allows young adults to make the mistakes with a supervised adult before hitting the road and driving aimlessly. In fact, many young adults don’t know or don’t feel comfortable with driving on the interstates, and while it is overwhelming, it sometimes is unavoidable.

The importance of driver’s education grows as driving related accidents become more common. While driver’s education is a no-brainer for reducing deaths in driving-related accidents, other things we can do as drivers is avoid 3 common mistakes that happen, that can lead to accidents. The first being: limit all distractions. It’s a no-brainer that phones shouldn’t be used while driving, but sometimes things can be distracting without you realizing it. These things include drinks, food, music, and friends, which all can cause you to take your eyes off the road. However, some people risk the quick glance at something else in the car, and usually end up at the rear-end of the person in front of them.

The second common mistake that most people tend to make is road-rage. Traffic, bad drivers, and long stoplights are aggravating, I’ve been there. However, some people allow this anger to affect their driving. It’s common that people who are not the happiest while driving drive recklessly. Speeding, swerving around others, and tailgating. While these are all fun and games when it’s happening, one wrong mistake can alter someone’s life forever, just over some simple road rage. So when you drive, it is important to keep a clear, and level head.

The third most common mistake is weather. While we can’t predict weather, control it, or make it stop when we want to, we can control our actions in treacherous road conditions. These conditions include things like heavy rain, light snow, ice, and hail. Driving in extreme weather is not always avoidable, but when it is, that’s the best option. But for those times that are unavoidable at all costs, it is important to note that stops may be slicker, meaning you do have to stop earlier. Making sure your tires and brakes are in great condition before going out always helps as well.

With these 3 mistakes however, also come good solutions. For example, my best friend, Paige, hates driving in small rain. She never felt comfortable with it, and she’s never driven on the interstate either. This was a slight problem, as her and I had just booked a trip down south, and it would require a lot of interstate driving, with some small showers. However, instead of making her drive the distance in weather she wasn’t comfortable with on the interstate, I opted to drive instead, and we waited out the storm warnings. We also never considered roadtrips actual road trips if we didn’t stop to get Starbucks along the way. We both ordered our drinks, and I knew as I was driving, that a full drink was going to be distracting, and I didn’t want to risk it, especially on the interstate. So to eliminate the distraction while driving, Paige and I pulled into a parking spot and sipped on our drinks and talked.

Once we got to our destination, we headed to the mall near our hotel. But we both spaced it was a Friday afternoon, and it was packed. And nothing is worse than trying to find a parking space in a crowded lot. As I scanned the aisles, I found myself getting frustrated at everything. “Oh that was my spot!” or “Seriously, did you have to walk in front of my car?!” came out of my mouth at least 5 times. However, it wasn’t until I calmed and slowed down, that I noticed a car about to pull out of their spot! I almost passed it trying to rush into an empty one, but there was my perfect opportunity, and I just needed a little more patience.

While these solutions just come from my personal experience, it is important that we acknowledge all of the grand benefits around driver’s education, and all of the ways to avoid unsafe driving. As the new era of teen drivers become licensed, driver’s education can show them the rules or the road, create a more comfortable environment, and help them find solutions to bad driving habits. It is important we teach the youth about the importance of safe, educated driving, and hopefully, create more careful “grandma” drivers.

Works Cited

Reed, Leslie. “Study Shows Driver’s Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets.” Phys.org, Phys.org, 13 Aug. 2015, https://phys.org/news/2015-08-driver-ed-significantly-teen-tickets.html.