In (and Out of) The Driver’s Seat

Safe driving is as important as ever in today’s world. Driving without a license, under the influence, and while otherwise distracted is incredibly common, especially with teenagers. Without knowledge of how these habits could affect one’s own life, as well as others on the road, drivers could get behind a wheel with little regard to the importance of safety. It is a fact that driving is essential in modern society, as public transportation (which also involves driving) may not be accessible to everyone. Reducing the annual deaths caused by driving is absolutely necessary since driving itself is unavoidable.

Driving education is an undeniably important step towards improving road safety. Not only will students be able to learn proper techniques for driving, but they will also have to digest how to safely use a vehicle. There are many dangers that a driver must be prepared for when getting behind the wheel, such as natural impediments (like rain or ice) and problems caused by other drivers (like avoiding collisions). Without a good teacher, drivers are unlikely to know how to respond to such dangers on the spot. More obvious ways of the road also aren’t necessarily intuitive; how would a new driver know that they shouldn’t stop on train tracks since there isn’t a train on them currently? How would a new driver navigate parallel parking if they’ve only had to do it once for a driver’s test? These questions would be easily and swiftly addressed in driver’s education. I believe that high schools should offer a driver’s class that’s mandatory to take by junior year, since that’s when a majority of students would be driving by. In doing so, future drivers would be sure to demonstrate responsible driving with knowledge necessary to have at the forefront of their experience on the road.

When my mother was pregnant with me, she was rear ended, which is why I find myself passionate about driving education. If the other driver involved would have been paying attention, this collision isn’t likely to have occurred in the first place. Without an appropriate education in driving, it’s also unlikely that a driver thoroughly understands the dangers of inattentive driving. It is a necessity to have comprehensive education around something that could cost someone’s life. Though the accident didn’t have any affect on my health, there are plenty of people that have had permanent health effects from irresponsible driving, not to mention people that have lost their lives. Past physical repercussions from such irresponsibility, many have been affected mentally by accidents on the road. Because my own education around safe driving wasn’t focused on natural disasters, I wasn’t sure what to do when driving in a flash flood once. As a result of that gap in my knowledge, I continue to face a lot of anxiety when driving in the rain, stemming from that one incident. If I had had access to comprehensive education relating to dealing with such incidents, I likely wouldn’t deal with this anxiety. A lack of appropriate education concerning driving can affect people in a multitude of ways, whether it be because of someone else’s mistakes or their own. Either way, though, it is crucial that this gap be appropriately filled and new drivers be educated.

Personally, it is important to always drive when I’m agreeable. It is a bad idea to get behind the wheel when one is hungry, because they could drive emotionally as a result. In the same vein, it’s important to always leave early to make sure you’re not driving irrationally in order to get somewhere on time. As important as it is to make sure your driving circumstances are safe and responsible, it is as important to make sure the surrounding circumstances ensure reliable temperament. Additionally, the topic of safe driving should be more prominent, especially with access to social media. Having fatality rates caused by driving be so high should be alarming considering how many people use vehicles as transportation everyday. Though I believe it should be mandatory to have some degree of driver’s education, this information is somewhat available online. If the information was taken to social media in an easily digestible way, I think teenagers would be less likely to experience car accidents and, in turn, overall fatalities. I believe the most effective way of helping improve road safety is looking out for each other. If someone you personally know needs help with their car, offer your hand or phone to call someone. If someone you know is incapacitated in any way, it is best to give them a ride instead of leaving them to fend for themselves. All in all, it is crucial to look out for others on and off the road. Driver’s education should be accessible and necessary for everyone as it is something that ultimately affects everyone else, and an attitude of joint responsibility is just what we need as we make an effort towards improving road safety.