Awareness: The Key to Safe Driving

As a new driver, I remember clearly the difficulties of starting out. First, it was control of the car; what dials mean what, how to shift gears, accelerate, park. Driver’s Education quickly taught me how to take control of the car, and by the time I had become adept at steering the vehicle, my knowledge on roadway rules locked into place: yield to oncoming traffic for a left turn; turn right on red after stop; accelerate into higher speed roadways. While nothing can truly prepare you for taking a car out for the first time, Driver’s Ed allows you to scout the waters before jumping into the deep end.

What I had failed to recognize in all the hours of Driver’s Ed, were the politics involved in driving. The small negotiations while changing lanes, the flickering of blinkers to indicate for me to come first – this car-to-car communication can greatly reduce the frequency of accidents if all drivers are participating. However, in order for this synergy to happen, presence of mind is required. This is one reason why distracted driving, i.e; texting, calling, and occasionally loud music or passengers, is so detrimental to safety on the motorway. By detracting attention from the road, drivers can miss vital signage or approaching drivers, resulting in higher rates of accidents.

Worse, effects of alcohol and even sickness, can further impair decision making, as well as reaction time. It’s well known that drinking and driving is dangerous; on average, 29 drivers across the U.S. die every day due to alcohol related impairment. More surprising is that in an English study, individuals with the flu tested for lower reaction times than those who were drunk. While Driver’s Ed can warn of the serious consequences of drinking and driving, it is inevitable that there will be those who ignore this, and enter the motorway regardless of any conditions that could affect their awareness. Therefore, it’s essential that all drivers acknowledge this possibility and prepare for every possibility.

During my second adult-supervised driving session, I came across an intersection which forced 2 lanes to merge prior to the light. I was already in the lane-to-be-merged-to when a silver sedan flew out of the right side of my vision and attempted to cut me off while blaring its horn. Thankfully, my immediate reaction was to slam the brakes, and the car accelerated in front of me without incident.

When you get on the road, anything can happen. Knowing the very basics of road rules and what’s expected of you, as a driver, needs to be ingrained in your head before you set “tire” on the road. This is what Driver’s Ed ingrained in my mind before I set out: a vision of the road, of the path the car should take. This way, when things don’t go according to plan, you can rely on instinct to react and avoid harm.

There’s still more that we can do to improve Driver’s Ed. While the mechanical mastery of cars is necessary to drive, we can go above and beyond to prepare students for what was for me, a scary first few weeks on the road. For many, there’s an egoistic approach to driving that can be fatal. My guess is that most people believe they are better than the average driver: “I’d never drink and drive,” they say. And while this may be true, what does it mean to be “better” at driving? Better at being safe, or better at controlling a car doing 100 in a 60? While my mother has always admitted to being a “worse” driver, she is adamant that her cautious and defensive driving style does, in terms of safety, make her safer than other drivers. Because at the end of the day, regardless of who is at fault for an accident, you are still endangering yourself and others through reckless and distracted driving.

This is the key component that must be taught at driving schools: to be able to predict the worst case scenario and preemptively minimize the risks. A few examples to get you started thinking in the “awareness-first” mindset: check twice before you proceed through an intersection; stay far behind the car ahead in case they brake; repeatedly watch your blind spot. Because after a crash, it doesn’t matter who was at fault, or whether you obeyed every road law. Sure, your insurance might care, but cars can be bought. Lives, cannot. In the face of rapidly growing self driving car technology, Driver’s Ed is paramount. While it may seem like measures can be loosened as we hand over control to software, we, the driver, remain accountable for the safety of ourselves and our passengers. A weight is put onto the shoulders of every driver in America once they step behind the wheel- it’s our responsibility to respect the laws of the road, but also one another.