The Guide to Fantastic Driving

I took my driver’s ed class spring of my sophomore year. In a classroom of students ranging from freshmen to juniors, we all sat bored to death while the teacher droned on and on about driving. And so, I began to question: what is the importance of Driver’s education? So let’s dive into some history. In the early 1980s, a study raised the question about the effectiveness of driver’s education classes. This caused many states to begin to quit paying for the program and some insurance companies even discontinued premium discounts for driver’s ed. However in more recent years, Researchers Duane Shell and Ian Newman of the Nebraska prevention center for alcohol and drug abuse compiled driving records of 151,800 Nebraskan teens with provisional permits between 2003 and 2010. By looking at driving logs for supervised practice driving, they discovered that the group of teens who took driver’s ed had significantly fewer accidents and traffic tickets in their first year of driving. Not only that, but they also found that young drivers who have not completed driver’s education are 75% more likely to get a traffic ticket and 24% more likely to have a fatal accident.

Driver’s ed ensures that everyone has a solid foundation of knowledge in the world of driving. From learning about the meaning of road signs to proper driving etiquette, everyone gains an umbrella of information vital for proper driving. Simply gaining the proper education and training allows new and old drivers to avoid fatal accidents.

Yet further steps can be taken to stay safe while driving. In fact, I came up with a helpful little acronym to remember these steps: SOAR.

Steer clear of alcohol and drugs. At this point, almost everyone knows the dangers of drunk driving. Yet despite this knowledge, thousands of people still drive under the influence. Drinking any amount of alcohol can impair judgment and reaction time, causing a much higher change in death. In fact, according to the CDC, one out of three traffic fatalities in the US involve a drunk driver. Therefore, if you’re going to go party it up in the town, plan for an alternative method of getting home (Uber, taxi, a sober friend). Drugs are just as terrible, slowing down people’s reaction time and often making them more aggressive when driving.

Obey the traffic laws. One especially important traffic law to watch out for is the speed limit because driving over it can cause an increased chance in loss of control of the car. While some may not think much about going over the speed limit, it could cost you at best, damage to your car, at worst, your life. Also, make sure to follow road signs in order to avoid any fatal mistakes while driving.

Avoid distractions. This means avoid driving while doing another activity at the same time. Many humans praise themselves for their excellent multitasking abilities, not realizing that they are putting themselves in harm’s way. I’ve seen many people eat while driving, look at their friends while driving, or even put on a full face of makeup while driving. The most common distraction, however, is texting with 1 out of 4 car accidents caused by texting while driving. If you absolutely must send a message to another person, find somewhere to park before texting. Otherwise, avoid your cell phone as much as possible. Additional tips include limiting the number of passengers, planning ahead, and pulling over to a safe area whenever you need to do something other than driving.

Remember your seatbelt. This may seem simple, but it goes a long way. Wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death by 45-50%. Being buckled up during a crash can help prevent you from being completely ejected from a vehicle that is almost always deadly. Such force could injure or even kill you. Before anyone even starts the car, make sure everyone has their seatbelt buckled and secured.

By following these four steps, everyone can soar to great heights in the safety of their driving, figuratively not literally, and avoid car accidents and death.

While I have been lucky and only experienced some minor car accidents when I was young, I’ve seen and heard about many tragic accidents that have happened around me. Just a few months ago, a group of teenagers around my age was driving 80 miles per hour on a 35-mph street without wearing seatbelts. After driving off the road, rolling multiple times, and crashing into a gym sign, two of the 5 teens were ejected from the vehicle. This tragic accident killed one student and left the other 4 in critical condition. They not only were impaired by alcohol but were also speeding and not wearing seatbelts.

We must become better drivers, without a doubt. New or experienced, everyone is prone to mistakes, but we can reduce the number of them significantly by following SOAR. I personally implemented these steps and have maintained a great driving record. Sharing tips on how to drive safely with others while also maintaining proper driving etiquette can help keep yourself and others safe. Even people like my younger brother who is soon to start learning how to drive can use these steps to stay safe on the road. So when you or I am on the road, focus, and remember to stay away from alcohol and drugs, obey the traffic laws, avoid distractions, and remember to always wear a seatbelt.