The Importance of Driver Education

Driver’s education is mandated by the Department of Motor Vehicles in each state, but it can be overlooked by many people, as most of it is generally straightforward and easy to understand. Because of the way they approach driver’s education, they may see that learning it is just a simple task that they need to do to get a driver’s license and get on the road, and later on they may forget that they have learned as they start driving and continue to do so. They may become irresponsible drivers, creating hazardous conditions for others around them to drive in. Thus, driving for many people has become an activity so many people fear because of the aggression and carelessness of other drivers that they observe on the roads.

In my personal experience, I have observed careless and reckless driving. Sometimes when I drive at night, I have seen the occasional car moving through an intersection with a redlight in front of it with the driver perhaps assuming no other car is moving through the streets it is crossing. So far, a few of those cars have gotten away with it without danger, but most of them have occurred in near-miss accidents. In addition, there have been many aggressive drivers that have flashed their high beam lights in my rear view mirrors and honked at me to go faster despite driving at speed limit, which made me feel panicked in the moment. I would recollect myself when they did so and would be okay since the cars would switch lanes and pass me by, but the experiences themselves have made my commutes more stressful. I have seen my cousins drive irresponsibly, from not completely stopping at intersections when making a right turn to driving ten miles per hour above the speed limit. They sometimes drive emotionally, making them drive recklessly and making the driving experience uncomfortable and creating near-miss accident opportunities when doing so.

Due to what I have seen on the roads, I do my best to drive responsibly and defensively to get to my destinations. I actively try to recall good practices when driving whenever I drive, such as checking blind spots and not making assumptions that there are no cars there. I make sure to not be negligent on executing those good practices, knowing that if I do I am leaving myself potentially vulnerable to an accident and being the danger on the roads. Every time I drive, I make sure that I do not feel rushed to get to my destination by driving out early. Most of my driving habits stem from the driver’s education course I took to get my permit, and so far it has held effective in helping me to drive safely. Thus, I believe it is important to pay close attention to driver’s education, even if the content may seem easy and at times trivial.

In order to make the roads a more comfortable and safer place to drive, I believe that the it has to come from a collected effort of drivers. One effort that can be done by drivers including myself is to review driver’s education and actively recall the knowledge when they drive on the road. It is one thing to be able to read through and understand how to drive safely, but the additional step should that be taken is to apply that knowledge and continue to remember to apply it. One important concept to remember is that the road is public and is shared by everyone who drives on it; it is not just yours. There may be many people that have to quickly get to their destinations, such as going to work or getting to an appointment in exception to emergencies, but when they drive quickly, they make themselves and other more susceptible to being in an accident. People should be courteous to others when they drive and be patient with other on the roadways so that they create a safer and more comfortable space for others on the road. According to my driver’s education, they should also plan accordingly and get on the roadways early so that they can more comfortably get to their destinations.

With the suggested efforts, drivers could collectively reduce the number of deaths caused by car accidents. Paying close attention and remembering concepts explained in driver’s education as well applying them on the road is crucial, and if everyone is able to to share the road and treat each other courteously, driving could become a nicer experience for all.