In The Driver’s Seat

The ease of accessibility of Class C licenses have caused vehicle fatality rates to skyrocket. Higher level driver training is crucial to reducing vehicle fatalities.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, any able bodied driver over the age of 18 only has to go through the process of completing their permit requirements followed by a single practical exam in order to earn their license. This training is inadequate. In California, the current prerequisites do not take into account how much experience and skill a driver has. A driver could have only had 6-7 months of practical driving experience before they are allowed on the road without any supervision. The behind-the-wheel test can be rehearsed by learner drivers, making it ineffective at testing real-world driving scenarios. Highway/freeway driving skills are not tested much if at all. California must adjust these restrictions on Class C licenses to reduce vehicle accidents and fatalities. With most accidents being the cause of human error, higher quality driver training can reduce collisions (Watson-Brown, N., 2020, 28). Research has shown that an individual’s maturity and attitude plays the biggest role in determining the likelihood of a collision and risky driving behavior in general (Peck, R. C., 2011,8). Thus, driver training programs should assess these qualities to a higher standard. Addressing the role of lifestyle and attitude in new drivers, younger individuals especially, ensures that they are less likely to get in an accident.

In my lifetime, I have been in a couple of car accidents. The most notable would be when my sister had just earned her learner’s permit and was ready to practice on the road. Since my dad was busy, I would accompany and teach her along the way. Whilst approaching the right turn lane at an intersection, there was a car in front of us that stalled out. While turning left to get out of the lane and go around the stalled vehicle, a white pickup truck was blazing towards us. Luckily, the driver in the truck slowed down enough to reduce the impact to the point where the airbags didn’t go off. While we were physically ok, and the car wasn’t that damaged, my sister was traumatized, and has not been behind the wheel since. This predicament could have been avoided with better driving training on the part of both parties.

Reducing the need for cars will also drop vehicle fatality rates. Currently in the United States and especially in California, most cities are car-dependent and as such, a Class C license is a necessity to live. Supermarkets, places of employment, and other necessities are mainly accessible on a practical basis, via automobile. If cities can implement more efficient public transport, and create walkable infrastructure, the average resident will not need to rely on a vehicle to get around. Cities can start by making streets narrower and lowering speed limits. With a lower speed limit, my sister could have avoided the collision mentioned earlier, as the white pickup truck would have enough time to react and come to a complete stop. Cities can also rebuild streets to prioritize pedestrians through pedestrian-first crossings at intersections for example. Better public transportation can help cities that were originally built around cars, since it is difficult to make them more walkable. When this concept of reducing car-dependency is magnified on a larger scale, current drivers will be at less risk too, due to there not being as much traffic.

Personally, I have taken several measures to ensure the safety of myself and others on the road. By attempting to earn my license under the age of 18, I had no choice but to go through the required driver education, instructor lessons, and the 50 hours of on-the-road practice before my final exam. The standardized training alone is not enough to guarantee my safety, so I usually drive with my dad on freeways and in unfamiliar areas since he is a more experienced driver. As a young driver, driving with an older adult lowers the likelihood of risky behavior. Additionally, I make sure to stay on top of my vehicle maintenance to avoid any mechanical faults that would increase the likelihood of a collison. I avoid driving all together if I experience sickness or anything that would inhibit my attention. However, I can always keep improving to keep me and others on the road safe.

Ultimately, to reduce vehicle fatalities/injuries, more rigorous driver training is essential, and reliance on automobiles for transport in general must be reduced.

Works Cited:

Watson-Brown, N. (2020). Operationalising theoretical frameworks for a best-practice model of higher-order driving instruction for Learner drivers. University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. https://doi.org/10.25907/00485

Peck, R. C. (2011). Do driver training programs reduce crashes and traffic violations? — A critical examination of the literature. In IATSS Research (Vol. 34, Issue 2, pp. 63–71). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iatssr.2011.01.001