The Importance of Driver Education

According to a study completed in 1991, driver education is not critical to driver safety. Can you believe that? I couldn’t. In the study, Is driver education contributing towards road safety? a systematic review of systematic reviews, the authors concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that driver education is a useful strategy for lowering the number of automobile accidents or injuries. However, they admit that this unfavorable outcome could be the result of inefficient instructional practices. Therefore, the existing approaches to driver education do not result in fewer car accidents or injuries, but new approaches to either the method or the content of driver education is required to make the roads safer. ( J Inj Violence Res. 2021 Jan;13(1):69-80.)

Regardless, the shocking results of this study fly in the face of common sense because certain things can be done to prevent accidents and fatalities on the road. One of the measures that can be taken to ensure that the number of deaths that are caused by driving is to make sure that drivers education has an emphasis on actual cases of driving-related accidents and fatalities. This is one of the steps that can be taken to change driver education as the 1991 study suggests. It is essential for inexperienced motorists to have the awareness that these fatalities are not only a number and a statistic, but rather that they are very real and have touched a great number of people in their immediate environment.

Further, it may be necessary for new legislation be explored for driver’s education that takes into consideration the real word statistics and effects of not following safety procedure.We all know that it is possible to end up in a deadly accident if certain safety precautions are ignored, such as the posted speed limit, adequate attention is not paid to the road, and illicit drugs, such as alcohol, are consume, but what about their social or economic impact? Maybe that needs to be included in order to drive home the importance of following the rules and guidelines.

Driver’s education is essential for the reduction of the severity of automobile collisions and the elimination of future fatalities that may occur on the roads. It is a fact that, safe driving is achieved by always using a seat belt, ensuring that the vehicle is in good working order, and adhering to the posted speed limit on the road. In addition, individuals who take driving classes are instructed on how to properly come to a stop at a predetermined distance, how to use their turn signals when making a right or left turn, how to properly follow the speed limit on the road in certain areas of the highway, and how to park their vehicle in a parking lot in the correct manner. How would you know how to execute all these safety rules without education. (Fire Engineering,vol. 155, no. 11, Nov. 2002, p. 24.)

Those who participate in driver education get knowledge of the laws and regulations governing traffic and might benefit from this. Because of this information, drivers are better able to comprehend the significance of obeying traffic rules, including those pertaining to speed limits, stop signs, and traffic signals. If a driver is familiar with the regulations of the road, they have a lower risk of engaging in dangerous driving behaviors that can lead to serious or even deadly accidents. Some of the areas in driver education that are expanded upon are skills for defensive driving and enhanced capacity to decide.

Skills for Defensive Driving: Anyone can learn how to drive defensively through driver education programs. Drivers that are skilled in defensive driving are better able to predict possible risks and prevent collisions. Driving defensively also enables drivers to respond effectively to potentially hazardous events on the road, such as rapid braking or swerving, which are also examples of driving maneuvers.

Those who take part in driver education programs have a better understanding of the risks associated with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Education on driving while impaired has the potential to discourage people from getting behind the wheel while drunk and cut down on the number of accidents caused by driving while impaired.

Enhanced Capacity to Decide driver education programs also instruct students on how to improve their decision-making abilities while behind the wheel. This involves being aware of when it is appropriate to yield, when it is appropriate to change lanes, and when it is appropriate to slow down. Drivers who are able to use sound judgment while behind the wheel have a reduced risk of being involved in collisions that end in deaths.

In conclusion, driver education is very necessary in order to cut down on the amount of fatalities that may be attributed to driving. It educates people on the regulations of the road, teaches them defensive driving techniques, makes them aware of the dangers of driving while impaired, and improves their ability to make decisions while they are behind the wheel. All of these variables contribute to the prevention of accidents, which, in turn, saves lives.

Akbari M, B Lankarani K, Heydari ST, Motevalian SA, Tabrizi R, J M Sullman M. Is driver education contributing towards road safety? a systematic review of systematic reviews. J Inj Violence Res. 2021 Jan;13(1):69-80. doi: 10.5249/jivr.v13i1.1592. Epub 2021 Jan 18. PMID: 33459279; PMCID: PMC8142340.

De Lisi, Steven M. “Tips for Driving More Safely.” Fire Engineering,

vol. 155, no. 11, Nov. 2002, p. 24.