The Importance of Driving Education

Every year, thousands of people are given the opportunity to drive through drivers’ ed, or by receiving a license or permit. According to The Association for safe International Road Travel, “Approximately 1.35 million people die in road crashes each year; on average, 3,700 people lose their lives every day on the roads.” It is important as a society that we teach safe driving to prevent deaths. With the help of driver’s education, it will allow people to learn the importance of safety precautions. Through education, people will become more aware of the role they play in keeping not only themselves safe, but others. Education also highlights all the dangerous actions people should avoid, like not wearing a seatbelt, driving under the influence, or losing focus on the road due to a cell phone. Drivers’ education can save the lives of everyone and informs inexperienced drivers of the responsibility they now have as they join everyone else on the road.

Steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is to turn our phones off. Phones tend to be a distraction; it is easy to take your eyes off the road to answer a text or call, leading to the chance of an accident to occur. An example of this is The National Highway Traffic Administration states, “Distracted driving is dangerous, claiming 3,142 lives in 2020.” This highlights that distracted driving has become a significant problem and thousands of people have lost their lives due to one text or call. By placing our phones on silent, it allows all drivers to be able to devote their attention fully to the road. Also, eating while driving can be a distraction. Instead, people should pull over and continue driving once they have finished their meal. Another step that can be taken to reduce accidents is to wear seatbelts, and to encourage others to do the same. For instance, I personally have been in the car with a family member who chose to be irresponsible by not wearing their seatbelt. At that moment, I spoke against what they were doing and educated them that seatbelts are important and without them many lives have been taken because someone decided not to wear one. I have also told them stories about people getting severely injured because they decided not to wear a seatbelt. I feel it is important that we hold one another accountable. Our voice has the power to possibly save a person’s life. I also believe a step that can be taken to prevent deaths is when someone is under the influence, they should call a taxi or a trusted friend instead of getting behind the wheel. This will save not only their lives but the thousands of people who would be on the road with them. Bars and restaurants serving alcohol could also create an ethical policy to not serve someone anymore after a certain limit in order to prevent people from becoming under the influence. Lastly, schools can also play a significant role by creating courses for all students to learn how to be safe when driving, and how to recognize irresponsible driving. By creating programs that teach the importance of safe driving, people are learning early on that driving is a dangerous task, and when not taken seriously, can result in consequences. There are thousands of more steps that could be taken, but I truly believe that by looking out for one another and holding ourselves responsible, we are able to prevent deaths caused by driving.

 The role that I play in taking steps to be a safe driver and helping others on the road begins with following the rules myself. One step that I actively work on is paying attention to my surroundings as I am driving, because it keeps pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bikers safe. Also, following the speed limit is important because it prevents me from colliding into another vehicle, and ensures that I am going at a safe speed for others in areas like parking lots and school zones. I am aware that when I decide to get behind the wheel, I am responsible for my life and those around me. By following the rules, I am demonstrating to others the importance of safe driving.  I believe that if people witness someone making the right decisions, the more inclined they are to want to do the same thing. Representing, and spreading the word on safe driving is what can save thousands of lives.