Driver’s Education: Putting YOU in the Driver’s Seat

Growing up with parents who always drove responsibly (not a single ticket or accident between them), I was shocked and horrified to see my friend taking a selfie while driving on the highway. She held her cell phone with both hands and drove with her knees while traveling at a speed of 65 miles per hour. I yanked the cell phone out of her hands and threw it in the back seat just out of her reach. Although I refused to ride with her until she put her phone away, this did not stop her from distracted driving with others. She has had multiple tickets and an accident since that incident. Had my friend taken driver’s education early on, she may not have developed these terrible habits. As an educator I have witnessed many students who would benefit from this type of program and would eagerly jump at the opportunity to learn how to improve their driving skills. I believe that driver’s education courses should be a mandatory part of our high school curriculum. After taking a driver’s education program myself, I realized that these types of educational programs help students build confidence, develop defensive driving techniques, and acquaint students with the rules of the road.

Developing confidence is an important part of learning how to drive. Unfortunately, this was the aspect I had the most difficulty with. When I was fifteen years old, right when I began driving, I witnessed a fatal motor vehicle accident. A distracted driver hit a motorcycle located in her blind spot and the man on the Harley was fatally injured. After witnessing the motorcyclist take his last breath, I was terrified to get behind the wheel. A few years later I began my driver’s education course. Having an experienced driver/expert beside me helped ease my anxiety and helped me gain confidence in my abilities. My instructor gave helpful tips, reassurance, and constructive criticism. One month after completing the course, I earned my license and I am now a capable and confident driver. Not only did this course help me gain confidence on the road, but it has helped me learn defensive driving techniques as well.

According to Texas Defensive Driving, young people who take a driver’s education course specializing in defensive driving techniques experience much lower fatality rates (sometimes dropping by nearly 50 percent) (2021). Teaching young drivers the importance of using driving strategies and skills will help minimize accidents and fatalities. Techniques such as cutting down on distractions, thinking of escape routes, and constantly being wary of other motorists help people focus on the task at hand and reduce avoidable accidents and fatalities. In 2019, 3,142 people were killed due to distracted driving (United States Department of Transportation 2021). When people learn about defensive driving, they are taught not to depend on other drivers and to minimize distractions (Gray 2016). If more people were aware of the prevalence and terrible repercussions of this problem, we could potentially reduce the number of fatalities. While understanding these life-saving techniques is extremely important, it is also of paramount importance that motorists are aware of all traffic laws and rules.

Driving is a massive responsibility and knowing the rules of the road is part of that responsibility. I am constantly baffled by people who seem to lack basic knowledge pertaining to traffic rules. This is extremely dangerous and worrying. In Oregon (the state in which I reside), the failure rate for the written test is 46 percent (Lisa, 2016). As a secondary educator, I often hear students boast about passing their driver’s permit test without studying the handbook. If driver’s education was a part of our educational curriculum, students would be far more familiar with our traffic rules and laws. Knowing exactly what they are supposed to do would also boost their self-assurance and give them the knowledge to navigate stressful or difficult situations on the road. This would also reduce monetary damages from accidents as well as save lives.

Driver’s education programs help build confidence, develop defensive driving techniques, and help drivers understand important rules and regulations. Imagine a world where all drivers felt completely confident, capable, and knowledgeable while navigating our roadways. Imagine the feeling of safety and peace of mind, knowing that all motorists have been through a driver’s education program. If all drivers had access to these types of programs, our roads would be much safer, our drivers would be more responsible, and this peace of mind and assurance would be attainable.

Works Cited

Gray, Kurt. “The Keys to Defensive Driving.” Teens Health, 2016, kidshealth.org/en/teens/driving-safety.html

United States Department of Transportation. “Distracted Driving.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2019, www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving.