The Importance of Driver Education.

The importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths, is that driver education assists in preventing precious lives being lost. Both old and young people are at risk every time they get on the road, because there are people who do not pay attention to the road when they should be. There should be way more depth going into drivers education classes, especially in the segment of teaching students about car accidents. While it’s universally known that texting while driving is dangerous, people still decide to do this anyway. It’s also renowned that we should be paying attention to the road, yet we still decide to do this anyway. If more people were actively thinking about how their actions actively put others lives in danger, then it’s likely that there would be a considerable reduction in the number of vehicle deaths. Even the basic education about road safety that is offered in DMV courses somewhat helps, because it helps to give people a guide as to how they should be driving. If there was no guide on how to drive safely, then driving would be absolute anarchy compared to what it is today. While most of society drives normally, a net portion of people choose to drive with ignorance and neglect.

Some steps that could be taken are parents talking to their teenagers, optimization of the systems on our cell phones, and having courtesy while driving. If teenagers understood how they can be legally held accountable for the way they drive, they would drive with more caution when they go from point A to point B. Parents should instill this mindset into their teenagers, because it’s going to benefit them in case they ever get into an accident. In addition, it’s going to prevent them from getting into an accident, because they’ll have been more attentive to the road. It’s incredibly important to know that teenagers have choices, and they have options to choose from. It needs to be clearly stated that if they choose to drive with neglect, then they are making a poor choice that can end up costing their life. With the mindset of choice, one can make decisions and know what the effects will be. For instance, if a person is speeding and they know that what they are doing can cause an accident, it’s likely they will stop speeding because they don’t want to suffer the consequences of speeding.

Next, there is the topic of our own cell phones, which have caused a major percentage of road accidents. According to the VTTI, (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute) the risk of an accident happening on the road increases sixfold when texting. We as people need to have more self control, and not let our phones have so much control over what we do. Most phones now have safety features that disable the phone while driving, this or putting the phone on do not disturb could prevent an accident. This is because we as humans have developed an attachment to our cell phones, even the most insignificant notifications that come up leave us checking our phone. If we could remove this attachment to our online personas, then we as a society could greatly improve. Using any device while in a vehicle can be a major threat to one’s life, so if it’s completely necessary to use it then either leave it or pull over. While some may not want to pull over to the side of the road, it’s as easy as going into any parking lot to talk and then resume driving. In general, its just a bad idea to be on the phone while driving, there’s little reward for the risk one puts in when on the device. This not only applies to phones, but even the screens that are also now in the cars we drive today. If one needs to change some sort of setting in their car, they should change it before they start their drive so they can pay attention to the road.

Along with driving on cell phones, there’s also the subsidiary problem of us not being prepared for driving. For instance, some individuals may get up and might be late to work so they will speed, either this or some people will get an adrenaline rush which can be dangerous. This is because if we begin to let go of our self control, then we begin to make destructive decisions that can lead to a fatal incident. Committing actions such as setting an earlier alarm, and trying to be prepared for the day before can prevent an accident. If an individual has a meeting the next day, they should make sure to plenty of sleep the night before. If they don’t get the sleep they need, they are more likely to speed and not be focused on the road. It’s incredibly important that we are prepped to go on a drive, whether it’s a road trip or just casual driving from school and home.

Lastly, there’s the issue of courtesy while driving, of which plagues the entire globe. Having courtesy while driving is not hard to commit to, and the only reason why most people lack it is because we raise aggressive drivers. If drivers could learn to be more calm and collected, it’s likely that more people would be considerate towards other cars in traffic. The tendencies of aggressive drivers consist of : cutting off cars in traffic, speeding, and tailgating, all of which pose a problem for inexperienced drivers. This is because drivers who may be new to the road, will drive more slowly and at the speed limit like one is supposed to. When driving aggressively, these people but both themselves and the vehicles they are next to in danger, because they can frighten new drivers and aggravate other aggressive drivers. When cutting off cars in traffic, there’s the issue of accidentally hitting a car while merging lanes unsafely. When speeding, there’s of course the legal issues such as getting a ticket, but there’s also ones such as hitting a pedestrian or other vehicle. For example, if one is speeding at night and going over the limit in a neighborhood, a pedestrian or animal may be on the road that they don’t see and they could hit them. If someone who is being tailgated throws on brakes, the individual who is tailgating can get the person slowing down into an accident. If more people were to drive courteously for one another, then its likely there would be a reduction in accidents involving non-courteous drivers.

This brings me into the next topic, being that we as American drivers have been raised to drive aggressively. It’s as if we don’t drive aggressively, then we won’t make it to our destination. Not only this, but it’s almost like you’ll get pushed aside, and the other drivers will go around you if you’re not aggressive. Drivers education classes even emphasize how it’s important to drive cautiously, yet as soon as students pass the test they begin to drive like their parents. This in combination with patience could allow for safer drivers, since in today’s time there seems to be a lack of that as well. Patience is a requirement while driving, it prevents reckless behavior which in turn causes accidents. For example, if someone runs around their house running to do something, they are at greater risk of injuring themselves. The same thing applies to if one is driving a motor vehicle, which is why its so important to remember to just take driving slowly and not so aggressively. Parents that teach the importance of patience and lawful driving long term, will be able to raise a driver that will be safe when travelling in the future.

As far as personal accidents, I myself have fallen victim in a car accident in which I was rear-ended by a truck. I was yielding at a sign after I had just gotten off of the highway, and its there where I had gotten hit by a driver who wasn’t paying attention. I myself have been on the road for less than 6 months, so since it was my first car accident I hadn’t exactly known what to do. Thankfully, my father worked at the local police department so he was able to handle it, however I hate to think about the circumstances if my father wasn’t in law enforcement. If I could share any tips on how I became a safer driver, the very first one would be to try to break out of any bad driving habits. If one’s parents had committed bad driving habits, it’s important to drop them immediately so as to not get into an accident. After this, the next one would be to pay attention to vehicles in front of the other, because this can help aid in preventing an individual from braking too hard. Then, there would be the advice of keeping a considerable gap between cars, because this gap can act as a cushion in case if the car ahead slams on brakes. Lastly, there would be the step of enjoying driving, and not feeling in danger. It’s incredibly important to stay calm while driving because if there’s an accident, one will be able to handle the situation in the correct way. Additionally, driving calmly will allow for an individual to be able to drive safely, because they will be focused and have their attention on the road. With these steps, each of them can effectively assist in helping to keep drivers safe on the road.