The Importance of Driver Education

As the rain poured on the busy street, the sound of screeching tires and screams brought chaos to the neighborhood. People ran over to help but nothing could be done. A car had smashed into a ditch killing both the driver and her two passengers. 

In 2020, 1,745 people died on Canadian roads (Diamond & Diamond Lawyers) and 35,766 fatal car accidents occurred across United States roadways (Bieber). According to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation in Ottawa, 90% of road crashes are caused by human error. The most common causes are speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving. This begs the question, ‘Is our driver’s education sufficient and effective enough to protect drivers’ safety? Something needs to be done to help bring these numbers down and ensure safety for both drivers and passengers. 

Driver education can help reduce the number of deaths resulting from driving. Being on the road comes with many fatal consequences if one lacks the proper attention and skills needed to be a safe driver. For example, fatal consequences can be caused through improper care of speeding limits, lack of attention, and consuming substances before or during driving (Quintanilla). As a result of this, driver education is a crucial aspect of car accident prevention. Driving education can teach the importance of wearing seatbelts, having the car in proper conditions, and maintaining the proper speed limit. Driver’s education can further teach one how to make proper stops and putting blinkers on when turning (Quintanilla). Studies have shown that teens who do not enroll in driving school are 75% more likely to violate the rules, 24% more likely to be involved in fatal accidents, and 16% more likely to get into accidents. This is because young drivers tend to be overconfident which leads to reckless driving. Having a professional Driver’s education can ensure knowledge of the risks and consequences of reckless driving and help increase road safety. 

Steps taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving includes driver education, as it helps inform one on the dangers of reckless driving as well as teaches one how to properly drive. Further ways to reduce fatal car accidents include always insisting that everyone puts their seatbelt on while you are driving in a vehicle. Statistics from the government of Quebec show that annually, 50 people are killed due not wearing a seatbelt and 125 people are seriously injured (Gouvernement du Québec). By ensuring that everyone has a seatbelt on when you are in a vehicle, one guarantees that they are not injured or killed due to not wearing a seatbelt. Another way to reduce the numbers of deaths from car accidents is to never speed or rush, even if you are going to be late to an important meeting, event, or appointment. Studies from 2019 have shown that 26% of fatal crashes were due to speeding and 9,478 American lives were lost (Traffic Safety Facts). Drivers must realize that getting to a meeting, event or appointment on time is not worth the risk of losing your life or taking someone else’s. With this attitude, one can ensure that they do not put lives at risk and the number of deaths can be reduced. Furthermore, one should never multitask while driving. Multitasking may seem harmless to an individual who is an experienced driver, however, it has fatal consequences. Nearly 13% of all Colorado car accidents are caused by multitasking and other distractions (The Rosen News Team). To ensure safety and reduce the number of deaths due to driving, one should always remember that, as a driver, their focus should be on the road and only the road. This way drivers can ensure that they are being safe and not putting the lives of others and themselves at risk. Moreover, one should never get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or other substances.

Impaired driving also causes more than 1.3 million deaths per year worldwide (Pandurov). Recent Canadian statistics have further shown that 55% of fatal car accidents are due to impaired driving (Ontario Personal Injury Lawyers). Impaired driving is an extremely dangerous act. Drivers should be aware of its dangers and know to never get behind the wheel while under the influence. They should further understand that even a small amount of alcohol can affect their driving abilities and focus. Lastly, drivers need to get out of the attitude that it will not happen to them. Many individuals hear about horrifying statistics, yet are unfazed due to their thought that it will not happen to them. This way of thinking needs to be stopped as it can cause further dangerous driving, leading to more accidents, which leads to more deaths. Therefore, driver education should be made mandatory before independently going on the roads. This way we can ensure that all drivers have the basic knowledge and skills needed to drive safely.

I have had close family members experience car accidents. My father commutes to work resulting in an increased chance of getting into an accident as he drives on busy roads during rush hour. He has gotten into three car accidents by doing this. Hearing that my father has gotten into a car accident is a very scary experience and can be prevented with an increased drivers education and decrease reckless driving. Furthermore, as an 18 year old, many of my peers are new drivers and tend to be reckless and over confident. This can be very scary and uncomfortable as you know yours as well as other lives are put at risk. Although I almost always let my peers know they are not being safe, many go back to their unsafe habits after I leave the car. 

To become a better and safer driver myself, I must ensure that I am never bending rules when I am in a rush, never multitasking while driving, always giving driving my full attention, and not having the mindset that it will not happen to me. As an 18 year old I am a relatively new driver and need to remind myself that due to my lack of experience I am more prone to accidents. I therefore cannot under no circumstances treat driving as I am good at it and that it does not need my utmost effort. Therefore, I have made it a habit to always give driving my full focus. As well, I make sure that no situation such as being late affects my focus or speed while driving. In order to help others be safer on the roads, I must ensure that I inform others when they are driving unsafely. It can be easy to let things such as speeding and multitasking when the person driving has a lot of experience. However, one cannot let this slide. By informing one that what they are doing is wrong they will likely stop. Further I should let them know what the possible consequences of their actions are. This way they will become more likely to stop these actions in the future. In addition I have had previous drivers education, however due to being in school and not driving for around a year I should go back and ensure my knowledge is up to date before going back to the roads. I should further encourage others to join drivers education so that they can ensure they are driving safely and lower their chances of being in a car accident. 

Works Cited 

Beiber, C. “Car Accident Statistics For 2023.” Forbes, n.d. Retrieved March 20 from https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/car-accident-statistics/#:~:text=Car%20accidents%20are%20a%20fact,roadways%20across%20the%20United%20States

Diamond and Diamond Lawyers. “Car Accidents Statistics All You Need to Know in 2022.” n.d. Retrieved March 20 from https://diamondlaw.ca/car-accident-statistics.html#:~:text=Car%20Accidents%20Statistics%20All%20You%20Need%20to%20Know%20in%202022&text=In%202020%2C%201%2C745%20people%20died%20on%20Canadian%20roads

Gouvernement du Québec. “Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec.” n.d. Retrieved March 21 from https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/road-safety/behaviours/seat-belts/did-you-know#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20each%20year%3A,not%20wearing%20a%20seat%20belt

 Ontario Personal Injury Lawyers. “WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CAR ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY ALCOHOL?” Preszler Injury Lawyers, n.d. Retrieved March 21 from https://www.preszlerlaw.com/car-accidents/what-percentage-of-car-accidents-are-caused-by-alcohol/#:~:text=Recent%20statistics%20reveal%20that%20more,impaired%20driving%2C%20per%20MADD%20Canada.

Pandurov, M. “17 Worrying Drinking and Driving Statistics Canada” Reviewlution, 2022. Retrieved March 22 from https://reviewlution.ca/resources/drinking-and-driving-statistics-canada/#:~:text=Impaired%20driving%20causes%20more%20than%201.35%20million%20deaths%20each%20year%20worldwide.

The Rosen News Team. “The Dangers of Multitasking.” Law Offices of Daniel R. Rosen, 2020. Retrived March 22 from https://www.danielrrosen.com/multitasking-and-car-accidents/

Traffic Safety Facts. “Speeding” NHTSA, n.d. Retrieved March 21 from file:///C:/Users/Microsoft/Downloads/2019%20Speeding%20Traffic%20Safety%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

Quintanilla. “What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number deaths as a result of driving?” Drivers Ed & Traffic School – DmvEdu.org, 2019. Retrieved March 22 from https://www.dmvedu.org/driver-education-initiative-award-summer-2019-what-is-the-importance-of-driver-education-in-reducing-the-number-deaths-as-a-result-of-driving/