It is like riding a bike

It is just like riding a bike. Except, driving is ten times harder and 100 times more dangerous. 

Learning to drive was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. When I was taught to ride a bike, I thought I had learned in the most challenging way; I was pushed down a hill of grass and told, “good luck.” This does not hold a candle to how I learned to drive. The first time I was behind the wheel, I almost drove forward, into the road, instead of backward out of the parking spot. The second time I got the courage to try, I almost drove into a wall because I could not find the right balance between pressing the gas and turning the wheel, and instead of making a left turn, I braked inches from a brick wall in front of me. At first, I thought I was an isolated case of being a bad driver. Until one of my friends told me how she drove into a wall, and I watched my sister reverse the car through our closed garage door. This was half of what made me realize there were a lot of bad drivers out there. The other half of this realization came from driving on the road. Half of the difficulty of driving is reacting properly: making sure that you can calmly and safely adapt when other drivers might make mistakes. This does not seem important until another driver crashes near you or even something smaller, like being cut off in traffic. Once other drivers stop following traffic laws, driving becomes even more difficult for everyone else.

Knowing all the traffic laws is an uphill battle when driving, especially since these laws can vary depending on the state. I took an online Driver’s Education course rather than in person, which was able to focus on Nevada’s driving laws for multiple sections of the course. Although much of the information seemed monotonous such as facts regarding what time of day and what weather can help you determine which headlights to use, I have already found a use for most of this information despite only having been a driver for 2 years. Simple things, like the videos on how to parallel park, started to come in handy when I moved from Las Vegas to California and suddenly, the only parking I could seem to find is parallel parking.  I will admit that during my driver’s education, I at first thought the information was useless. As a student in California, I drive back home to Las Vegas fairly often. When driving through the Cajon pass at 11 pm in the pitch black, suddenly, the information on headlights, brake distance, and the appropriate distance to stay from cars ahead of you seemed incredibly crucial. This seemed even more important when I drove home the same weekend and the rain was so heavy I could not see more than one car ahead of me. Suddenly I was extremely grateful for taking driver’s education courses, especially an online course which focused on facts such as these. Times like this remind me of the importance of teaching student’s basic facts. Although Driver’s Education courses which lead by practice and example are good, they can not prepare you for everything. Providing the knowledge on how to deal with even the most unpredictable situations while driving can undoubtedly help save lives.

Although people do not like to hear it, driving is 10 times harder and 100 times more dangerous than riding a bike. Reminding people of the dangers to themselves and others that can occur while driving may help reduce deaths, even by just a few. A popular saying comes to mind: “The only thing greater than fear is hope.” When I drive, fear is greater than hope. I do not want to hope that I drive well enough to stay safe. The fear of hurting myself, or another innocent person who could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, keeps me from driving recklessly. Many people find billboards with messages about texting while driving cheesy, but it still has the intended effect of people putting down their electronics. Knowledge is the best way to prevent accidents and deaths on the road. Knowledge of traffic laws, car operation, and how to react in different circumstances will help drivers when in situations that could become fatal. Knowledge of the results of reckless driving, ways to prevent reckless driving, and the impact reckless drivers have on others can decrease the likelihood of emergencies even further.