The Importance of Driver’s Education

Driver’s education is important, especially for teenagers, because it teaches them how to be safe, responsible and respectful on the road so as to not get into any accidents that may or may not be fatal to any involved parties. It teaches you how to properly care for your vehicle, the rules of the road, the consequences of driving under the influence and much more.

There are different ways to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, some ideal and some not as much. The more ideal ways are teaching kids at a young age the ins and outs of driving. In doing so, kids will be less scared to drive on the road and have more confidence in their skills of controlling a vehicle. When a person is confident on the road, they are able to avoid and prevent themselves from getting into accidents, which would reduce the number of car-related deaths. Parents should also set good examples for their children when they are driving them around as well. Children look up to their parents as role models, so they learn from them as they grow. They also develop behaviors similar to their parents, including behaviors on the road, which is why setting a good example is very important. If a child learns healthy driving behaviors, they will be more responsible on the road, thus hopefully reducing the amount of driving accidents and fatalities. Furthermore, keeping your phone on silent, away from you, or turned off while driving can significantly reduce the amount of car accidents, as many people are constantly on their phones. Driving vehicles while distracted is extremely dangerous and is one of the leading causes of car accidents behind intoxicated drivers and speeding. Perhaps reducing the amount of personal vehicles and only using public transportation is also effective. When these public transportation vehicles are driven by well-trained drivers, the amount of driving-related deaths would significantly decrease, however this idea is extremely far reaching.

I personally have never been in a car accident, however my closest friend got into a few. The first time, a driver was speeding down a residential road when my friend, who’s mother was driving at the time, was turning into a driveway. The speeding car collided with my friend’s car, luckily only hitting the front of it. The second time an Uber driver was speeding on the freeway at night, and according to my friend he looked like he was falling asleep. Before they knew it the Uber driver rear ended the car in front of him, and they both were luckily okay to walk out of there with their lives. Now, she is not only too scared to get into a vehicle with somebody she does not trust, but is also scared to drive herself.

Additionally, my mother used to race cars in her younger days, and has thus applied those racing skills to her everyday driving, basically meaning she can be irresponsible on the road at times. She is not very patient on the road either, leading to road rage. On several occasions she used her phone while driving, in which I had to step in and take her phone because she was clearly distracted.

There are steps I can take to ensure that I keep myself and others safe on the road. To start, patience is appreciated, especially if you live in places like New York or California where traffic can be a nightmare. By practicing patience and finding ways to control my emotions, I will prevent myself from getting road rage and swerving in and out of traffic, which can possibly cause an accident. My time is not any more important than somebody else’s, and by keeping my cool I can keep others safe. Also, I should be aware of my surroundings. While it is true I should adopt patient behaviors, I am aware that others may not see the same, and will drive recklessly. In the case that I come across a situation in which there is an irresponsible driver, I should move over and make room for them to prevent myself from getting into an accident, and then, if possible, report them to the authorities. Finally, if I know that I am very tired, unwell or intoxicated, I should do the responsible thing and hand my car keys over to someone who is not, as to not be tempted to drive myself home, and then ask for a ride home with somebody who is sober and in the right mind to drive.