Driver Education: An Important Factor in Safety

The importance of driver education in reducing the number deaths is huge. I have had many friends say that they would not be the drivers that they are without taking driver education. The biggest benefit that comes from driver education is that there is a deeper understanding of how to be safe on the road because you are being trained by instructors who know all the ins and outs of safe driving. In an article regarding insurance, Moneygeek.com reports, “Young drivers who did not take driver education are 24% more likely to be involved in an injury or fatal accident”. There is a 4.3% decrease in accidents and a 40% decrease in tickets for teens who took driver education (AAA). I think that if everyone were to take driver education and follow the rules of the road the number of accidents and deaths would be a night and day difference. Sadly, there will still be some accidents, especially from conditions like icy roads or hydroplaning, and other things such as animals on the highway, but the overall numbers could significantly be decreased. Even though there is a chance of accidents, if you take the right precautions that driver education teaches, those chances go down significantly, compared to a young driver who did not take those precautions.

There are many steps that can be taken to be a safer and better driver, as well as helping others become safer. The most crucial step is to follow all traffic laws because those laws are the foundation for safety on the road. Distractions are somewhat covered in the law, but not necessarily specifically. For example, it is not illegal to eat while driving but this is a distraction that can have significant impact on the attention of a driver. There are so many distractions such as people, cell phones, scenery, eating, etc. Even though some of these distractions seem excusable, they should be avoided. Other safety precautions should be taken with vehicles as well, such as wearing seatbelts, tires with good traction, windshield blades in excellent condition, working lights, etc. Cars need to be kept to the same level or above standards because without a perfectly safe vehicle the driver and/or others are put at risk of danger. There are also the steps to being a defensive driver. Being aware of your surroundings, always checking all blind spots, making sure there are no dangers, not relying on other people, and staying alert are key to being safe. One can never know what other drivers will do, so that is when you need to be always aware and focused.

I am so thankful that my family and I have never been in a car accident. Sadly, I have a friend who has been in a bad car accident but walked away with little injury. The reason for his accident was that he took his eyes off the road to look at the scenery around him and crossed over into the oncoming lane of traffic. He swiped the rear bumper of a truck with a trailer going 70mph on a rural highway. He was in a smaller car and luckily did not get hurt or die. His car was totaled. He was told not only by officers who arrived at the scene, but also his parents, that he is blessed that he survived by the looks of the wreckage. Even when someone takes their eyes off the road for seconds, it can impact the life of the driver, and others. So many others have not been as lucky as my friend in such a situation.

I can become a safter driver by following all traffic laws and regulations, while at the same time following all the commonsense rules, too. I can also help others by being a good influence and a leader by showing people what is right and wrong. For example, I can be a navigator when riding with other people and prevent whoever is driving from being distracted by maps or phones, doing all of that for them. I can also reverse that and have someone be my guide while I am driving. I can also be a defensive driver, which will help keep everyone safer when I am watching out for all potential dangers and avoid them. I can make sure that my vehicle is safe and do a quick but detailed look through and make sure everything is up to par.

The bottom line is that driver education is important and has an impact on the safety of our roads. If we all did our part, we could reduce the number of unnecessary accidents in our country.