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2023 Driver Education Round 1 – Knowledge is Power

Name: Hope Mocogni
From: Highland Park, Illinois
Votes: 0

Knowledge is Power

As a high school student, I am frequently a witness to unsafe driving. Whether it be due to a lack of knowledge or simply rebelling against the rules, teenagers have begun to normalize recklessness when behind the wheel. The stereotypical, but occasionally true, mindset that teenagers are invincible further pushes these driving habits.

One of the best ways to decrease unsafe driving is to educate drivers on the most effective ways to manage a vehicle. Knowledge is power, and the more a driver knows to be aware of when driving a car, the risk of an accident will decrease. When I went through my driver’s education class, I was learning through a computer screen because I was preparing to get my license during covid. However, I was continuously told that what I was being taught were the same skills they would have taught me in person. Nonetheless, I feel that we were spending a lot of time on small details that, although important, shouldn’t have been such a priority. I vividly remember spending a whole 2-hour class learning about motorcycle safety when a majority of the class didn’t even know how to operate a car. Often, when I am driving with my friends and I point out something unsafe that they did, the response I usually receive is “Oh, I didn’t know that”. To reduce the number of driving-related deaths, you must be well-educated on how to manage your car and how to react to different driving situations.

There has been a lot of progress over the years toward ways to improve overall driving abilities. Before I was able to get my license I had to have logged 50 hours of driving time with an adult in the car. My parents were surprised when I showed them that new requirement because they said they never had to log any driving time before they got their license. However, in all honesty, the log can be unreliable. You can forget how long you were driving and round up when recording your time for the day and no one would know. I believe one step that can be taken to reduce driving-related deaths is to increase the required number of behind-the-wheel driving lessons. Currently, you only need 6 hours of driving with an instructor. The other 50 hours are done with someone over 21 who has a valid driver’s license. I believe that if there were to be an increase in the number of hours that one must drive with an instructor, people would be able to navigate certain situations that could cause accidents, in a much safer manner. Similar to riding a bike, the more practice you get, the better you will become. The more I am physically behind the wheel, the more confident I become in my abilities. When it comes to driving, there is only so much you can teach in a classroom. When driving with an instructor, you can make mistakes safely and learn from them.

I have never experienced being in a car accident, however, my family does have a habit of unsafe driving. My mom has always been a naturally skilled driver. She’s been around cars since she was little and got her license on the day of her sixteenth birthday. She also used to co-own a car dealership with my uncle. To say the least, she is extremely comfortable around motorized vehicles. However, comfortability can lead to overconfident driving. Since I was little, my mom has always seen the speed limit as a suggestion. She is so self-assured when driving that she feels that she isn’t at any higher risk of a car accident when flying down the highway. She has yet to be in a car accident and as time has passed begun to pick up safer habits. Yet there are certain instances when I am sitting in her passenger seat when my heart starts to beat a little faster.

Moving forward, I will start to be more aware of my actions when I am driving. It can be easy to forget the responsibility that is required to have a driver’s license. I often forget the severity of the damage that can be caused by a car. Recently, I have seen the results of horrific car accidents on the side of roads that have been a reminder of what reckless driving can cause. Although it may be fun to go 20 over the speed limit, the adrenaline rush isn’t worth risking your life, the lives of your passengers, or the lives of others on the road.