Drivers Ed: from a NEW teen driver

The first time my father ever cussed at me would be the times I would be behind the wheel. The amount of internalized fear this man would have when changing lanes or making the slightest left-hand turn would probably cause him to take years of therapy, but like my father would ever see a therapist.

Driving is the most responsible privilege a teen can be allowed to do as early as 14; that big responsibility will have more immense consequences if done incorrectly. The importance of driver education is not only valuable for accident prevention but will cause a lot less loss in money, damages, trauma, and even lives. From knowing your right of way to utilizing road signals, the importance of being educated on road safety can make you much less at risk of accidents or road inconveniences. Although there are many laws put into place that regulate driving for teens, there are ways that I have seen to be effective in the prevention of car-related accidents. First, when your teen has received their learner license, you should enroll them in driving school. Experienced professionals teach driving school with vehicles that allow the instructors to use their brakes when necessary. But, if you can’t enroll your teen in a driving school, parents must teach their child adequate safety and basic car training to prevent accidents. Other steps include consistently driving to retain the skills and information they’ve been taught. Lastly, what is most effective in avoiding car-related accidents is effective communication.

Driving is nothing to sneeze at, so if you don’t have proper motivation or the capacity to listen to others is an easy way not to drive irresponsibly and make mistakes on the road that could cause accidents. Parents and teens should be able to communicate to learn so fewer accidents may happen in the future. Being in high school and knowing about half the people in my grade either have their license or drive to school, you hear and see stories of their car accidents. One instance I recall is after winter break, a friend at the time told us they got into an accident and totaled their car. Luckily, they were ok, but the picture they showed of the entire front part of their car smashed was shocking. It happened because they made an honest mistake of not seeing a vehicle due to the intense sun glare.

Another instance that coincidentally occurred today. It was my neighbor who was in a rush to drop off her son at the local middle school. She crashed her car onto a high school boy riding his bike. He was immediately given attention and was rushed to the hospital shortly after the accident, but it shows how that young boy could’ve lost his life not by the negligence of a teen but by that of an adult. I couldn’t imagine how it would feel for a parent to receive a call that their child died due to a negligent driver, let alone a phone call to a parent that your child was responsible for another family’s loss. Driving on the road is very unpredictable as you can get into a simple accident from lack of vision to the sporadic negligence of someone in a hurry. It’s up to kids and adults to be responsible for the driving they perform and how important it is to learn and prevent those kinds of accidents.

Finally, when it comes to what I can do to be a better and safer driver would be to communicate with others, as I have asked my friends, peers, and parents for advice and discussion about my experience driving. What I find reassuring is how my mom would always ask me how was my drive to school or the drive to pick up my sister, telling her about the traffic and the different routes I took to get there and what I could do differently. There are also times when I admittingly tell one of my friends how to turn on the windshield wipers on my car. Talking about my and my friend’s driving experiences is a great way to learn because you talk about all our experiences, likes & dislikes, and even mistakes we make on the road. In comparison, we’re able to relate to each other actively and share a good laugh while talking about how we can drive better and our strengths and weaknesses regarding new teen drivers.