Education and Driving: It Goes Hand-In-Hand

In my opinion, education is one of the most important things in the world because it ties into absolutely everything there is to talk about, to learn, and to experience. Education can do it all, whether that is to help, or to harm, and of all things, driving is absolutely not an exception. Good driving is the result of good education, and bad driving is the result of a lack thereof, meaning good education leads to a safer experience on the road, which is highly important not only for the driver, but everyone else. It is important to be a good driver because according to the CDC, the leading cause of death in the U.S is motor accidents, which teenagers are the most at risk. This really highlights why it is so important for people to be educated on driving, so it can decrease the changes of younger people getting into accidents.

Unfortunately, people who make poor choices and decide to drive often lead to injuries and even death. In fact, according to the CDC, car crashes are preventable, but are still the leading cause of death in the U.S for people between the ages of 1 and 54, and according to Christy Bierber, (Forbes Advisor) South Carolina, where I live, is the highest-risk-state because 46% of accidents that happened in South Carolina were because of speeding. It is clear that even though there are many attempts to educate people on driving, it seems there needs to be even more attempts

I have been in multiple car accidents myself, not because of the person who was driving, but because of others on the road, and thankfully, my family and I haven’t been seriously injured. It was not pleasant to experience, even though I didn’t really understand the situation that much. It is really a miracle that these accidents weren’t extremely serious. But sadly, I cannot say the same for others. For example, a couple months ago, 2 students from my school were involved in a car accident because they were trying to race each other. One of the students had passed away, and they were the same age as me, and in the same grade. While I did not know him personally, a lot of my friends and even my parents knew him in some way, and it is a horrible thing to think about, and I really can’t imagine the pain their family and friends went through. To my knowledge, none of the people on the road were hurt, but it doesn’t make it better knowing that there were people that were hurt. After this, it really makes me think about how easy it is to get hurt while doing something seemingly somewhat harmless.

This is why I want to become a good and responsible driver, so I won’t be able to harm others and/or myself because of my actions. I’m just starting to apply for my driver’s permit, but with my lack of experience there are a few things others can do to become safe drivers as well. One way is to practice safely in an empty lot with supervision with a parent or someone you trust that has a license. That way, you can’t cause damage to others, you can receive criticism, and you’ll be well prepared for your test. Another way to become a safe driver is to be familiar with cars, and your state’s rules and regulations. This can help you become well-adjusted with driving and what you can and can’t do on the road, which can lead to you being more comfortable with driving. The most important thing you can do to become a safe driver is to educate others on driving because you’re not driving by yourself. You don’t have to schedule a seminar or visit a school to deliver a speech about the dangers of bad driving. It can be as simple as telling your friends to be safe on the road, or volunteering to be the designated driver after a party, or posting on social media about how being a better driver decreases the chance of getting hurt and decreases the chance of you hurting others. While it may not seem like a lot, your actions can impact people, and that’s what I’m doing right now, trying to spread the word about how education is key to being a better driver.