Focus, Preparation, and Patience: The Importance of Driver’s Education

During my time in a driver’s education program, I found that driving is not only a privilege but a process that requires focus and patience. And when speed and danger on the road are glorified in today’s popular culture, teaching inexperienced drivers defensive driving is a challenge. However, with the help of driver’s education courses and the sharing of first-hand accounts of irresponsible driving’s impact, making our roads safer is achievable.

I started driving in October of 2019, a few months before the lockdown in March of 2020. I took forty hours of a driver’s education class where I learned fundamentals and the laws of the road. So when I received my license, I was ready to drive defensively with patience for those who I shared the road with, but as the preliminary months passed by and I gained confidence behind the wheel, I began an unhealthy streak of reckless driving, frequently looking at my phone to switch the music, use navigation apps, and make calls while I sped through local roads.

At school, the people around me constantly bragged about their fast driving and teased their friends who drove the speed limit. Furthermore, I have been behind the wheel and in the passenger seat during shenanigans with friends that were borderline street racing. I was engulfed in a culture of reckless driving that made me think that my habits were fine because they were popular. And every day that I did not get into a car accident was another reason I could continue to drive like I was a character in Fast & Furious.

After a while of driving irresponsibly, I was confronted by my sister who explained to me that even if my habits weren’t causing any accidents, they were still unsafe and unnecessary. Hearing the criticism from someone who was constantly in my passenger seat pushed me to realize that popular didn’t mean correct, so I made the switch from reckless to responsible.

Two hands on the wheel, starting stops earlier, driving the speed limit, smart lane changes, and not using a phone are five major changes that I made during my transition back into safe driving. My driver’s education course taught me that what separates mediocre drivers from good drivers is focus. A focused driver refrains from distractions happening both inside and outside the car. A mediocre driver gives in to distractions such as other passengers’ antics, texting, and things happening around the road. So as a collective, we need to make a commitment to focus which is easier said than done. So, to fulfill this responsibility, we must require driver’s education.

As a part of my driver’s education course, I watched ed Asphalt V, a 2006 PSA film made by the California Highway Patrol that promotes safe driving through the telling of stories of those who experienced losses in their lives due to irresponsible driving. The heartbreaking stories of accidents caused by reckless or impaired driving are there to show viewers that the typical “it won’t happen to me” mentality is a harmful excuse for bad driving.

To prevent accidents such as those in the PSA, there are several precautions to take before driving. The obvious one is to never drive under the influence, but one that is taken for granted is driving while tired. In fact, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that 100,000 accidents are caused by drowsy driving every year. I once was dangerously tired behind the wheel while driving on I-79 going to my internship. Feeling myself slip on the brink of a deep sleep, I took the nearest exit to a gas station where I drank some coffee and collected myself in my car for a few minutes. I was a little bit late to my internship, but more importantly relieved that I made the decision to stop. If I had continued to drive while dangerously tired, you would not be reading this essay right now. The conclusion that I drew from this event was that taking actions that may sacrifice your punctuality is always the obvious choice when your life is on the line.

The abundance of signage, adverse weather conditions, and difficult traffic situations are three of many factors that make driving as complex as it is. Without driver’s education, new drivers do not have the solutions to problems that present themselves on the fly. Additionally, driver’s education course completion allows new drivers to get a discount on their car insurance. When looking at the amount of time someone spends driving throughout their life, early investment of time into driver’s education is the best method to set yourself up for safe driving in the future.