In the Driver’s Seat: Driver Education and Road Safety

Driver education is vital in reducing the number of traffic deaths because it teaches prospective drivers about the various situations they might encounter on the road and how to handle them. It also explains the basics of driving a vehicle and the general rules of the road. For example, my driving school taught things such as how to handle extreme weather, which definitely would affect traffic deaths if someone were, for example, stuck in the snow and knew what to do.

They also taught the physics of the different vehicle collisions and how to protect yourself if you are in one. It’s obvious how this could reduce deaths versus just letting people drive without knowing this. The program also gave statistics that emphasized the importance of not driving drunk or distracted, which helps discourage these behaviors that are often causes of accidents. Without driver’s education, motorists are left to their own devices concerning how they respond to other drivers and follow signs and road markings. There is also in-car education, which allows someone to practice driving while having a “safety net” in the form of their instructor having a wheel and set of pedals. This gives a new driver a chance to safely gain experience on the road. It’s almost like riding a bike with training wheels.

There are quite a few things that can be done to reduce deaths related to driving. One example is extending the requirements of driver education. This would mean requiring a certificate of completion of driver’s education and 8 hours of in-car instruction even past the age of 18. Teenagers are not the only people who need to know what driving school teaches. We also should not assume people have automatically learned by the time they have turned 18. Maybe there could be some option to test out of this requirement, but there should still be some longer exam either in addition or to replace the current written part of the driving test.

Another way to extend driver education requirements would be to mandate drivers take a “refresher” instruction course and exam. The time could be anywhere from every 5 to 15 years and could become more frequent with increasing age. It could be sufficiently concise to reduce the inconvenience of taking it, but not so much that it loses its educational value. This is a good idea because people drive for decades and generally only have to prove they know what they are doing once. It would be easy for someone to forget some crucial knowledge that they need to drive well. Consensus on how to handle certain matters may also change over time. For example, the Anti-Lock Brakes of a newer car should never be “pumped” in the way older brakes were. An older driver with a newer car might not know that. These measures relating to driver education would be helpful and reduce traffic deaths because people would be more up-to-date on how to handle various circumstances, how to care for their vehicle, among other things.

I have had experiences of family members and friends driving while distracted by phones or on a low amount of sleep. I have noticed that it is usually more older people than younger people who use phones. This could be because current driver education is very firm about not using cell phones while older people haven’t had updated drivers’ education that covers mobile phones and how much they increase the risk of an accident. This is another reason it would be beneficial to have all drivers take an updated education course regularly. It would help accommodate for changes in technology; changes to rules and regulations, and updated scientific information. Without providing updated information, we leave people out as the culture of driving changes.

I can be a better driver by: turning off my phone and leaving it in the back seat; taking my ADHD medication to focus, and generally monitoring how I feel so I know if I’m in the right state to drive. I can wear my glasses so I can see the road. I can help others drive safely by encouraging them not to operate a vehicle in an impaired or distracted state and separating myself from any of that behavior if I see it.

Driver education reduces traffic deaths by teaching people the rules of the road and what to do in various situations, including accidents. We could reduce traffic deaths by incorporating more road education into our society, even if it might be inconvenient. One way of doing this is to require that people redo driving education after a specific number of years. I have experienced people driving unsafely while using cell phones. I can be a better driver by reducing distractions for myself and not incentivizing other people to drive in an impaired state.