Asphalt Education: Why Safe Driving Instruction is Key

You wake up in the morning, brush your teeth, comb your hair, and prepare to go through another typical day. Nothing much breaks up the monotony of your everyday life and you grab your keys to start your car for what feels like the millionth time. Driving to work or school is a common piece to the puzzle that illustrates the average day for many. While it may seem insignificant the importance of safety on the road plays an essential role in the lives of most people every day. To keep you or others from harming anyone via automobile accident, education on safety and responsibility on the road is a must have for young or greenhorn drivers.

Driver’s education is a program designed to prepare the youth for the leap into the driving world. But is there a true importance to this school for safety? According to Kathie McWhirther in her article “Getting the Most Value from Drivers Education”, McWhirther writes, “AAA found that teens who took a driver’s ed class lowered the risk of getting in a crash by 4.3% and receiving a traffic ticket by 40%”(McWhirther). This is a result of a study done by American Automobile Association and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the studies prove that the importance of driver education is not only to the benefit of common road knowledge but also to the safety of the drivers. Driver’s education can also provide an essential place for strictly learning how to manage the stress of being on the road. A rookie driver is met with the harsh reality that driving is not something that can be easily picked up in a day; the struggles and anxieties that plague drivers are commonplace and hard to become adjusted to. Having an instructor to sit beside and having a teacher with you in your early stages of driving development can ensure that smart and safe habits are being formed by drivers before they are left to drive alone.

This education is nothing without the work that the individual must apply, understanding the responsibilities and actions needed to be a safe driver is equally as important as the education itself. To ensure the welfare of the one behind the wheel, a driver must have a conscious mind about how they are approaching the steps taken before you hit the gas. Seatbelts are a major component of safety in modern automobiles. According to a study performed by the CDC over the effectiveness of the seatbelt policies, “Seat belts dramatically reduce risk of death and serious injury. Among drivers and front-seat passengers, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45%, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%” (CDC). These statistics prove that the small tasks taken before you take on the pavement are essential in ensuring personal safety on the roads. Laws are put into place to protect the general public; by abiding by laws every driver is in turn creating a safer place of transportation. Speed limits, no passing zones, and using your turn signals—all are pivotal in the quest for flawless road safety. These laws are to ensure that everyone on the road is always on the same page and so everyone can get to where they need to be efficiently.

Personal experiences are an amazing teacher for the realization of how unethical or immoral driving practices can affect others. While I personally have never been in a car accident I have witnessed a major one that extremely closely. While riding in the backseat of a truck, I had seen another large truck making its way toward the intersection—in which I was currently turning—at a suspicious speed. Keeping a keen eye on the oncoming vehicle I witnessed the truck collide with a car right behind the one I was a passenger of. The reckless driver had apparently not been able to stop due to the high speeds that he decided that he needed to go, and caused major damage to the car that was just five feet from me seconds before. This personal experience was an eye opener and reality check that one careless person could put their own or other’s lives at risk.

The road to being a more competent driver is not an arduous long one, with a few simple steps everyone could be an extremely safe and responsible automobile operator. Education is the first step, being educated in anything you do is beneficial, but with driving it is imperative. The more you can understand and be accustomed to before your foot on the gas, the more you will be able to be comfortable and legal when you decide to take the wheel. Practice makes perfect is a common expression and one that very much so relates to driving. Driving in a safe space with an experienced individual is an amazing first step into instilling good habits on the road. Obeying the law is the next step, even the most educated people break rules, understanding the importance of obeying laws (even ones that seem pointless) can create insurance for the safety of everyone traveling. This can also account for eliminating distractions when you are driving. Phones are more prevalent than ever in today’s society and it is easier than ever to distract yourself using them. Put the phone down and respond to it when you are parked, the text or call is not worth your or other’s lives. Finally, keeping your head while driving is a major component. Not everyone around you will be a perfect or respectful driver. Being the bigger person and not becoming upset with those impetuous drivers helps to not put you or them into perilous situations.

As the great mind of 16th century parliament member Edward Coke once said, “Precaution is better than cure” (Coke). This message can relate to how you treat your mindset when driving, taking proper steps to ensure safety now is better than having to fix future mistakes. Safe driving is not an outlandish or difficult thing to do and the importance of driving safely now is more extreme than ever. Now is the time to clean up your driving habits!