Learning to Drive: A Lifelong Skill

Driving as a teenager can be exhilarating. It is a responsibility that gives teens a sense of freedom. However, bad driving habits can lead to life-changing consequences. That is why it is crucial to take driver’s education seriously. Driver education helps reduce driving fatalities because it implements safe driving techniques, practices, and knowledge. Many actions can be taken to minimize driving-related fatalities, such as ensuring everyone has their seatbelts on before starting the car, making sure the driver is sober, has good awareness of their surroundings, and can avoid all distractions from people inside the car and things outside. One way that driver’s education can be improved, is by requiring more DMV instructor proctored driving hours. For example, in North Carolina, before a person is eligible to get their learner’s permit, they must complete six hours of driving with an instructor. And after they have received their learner’s permit they are given nine months to accumulate sixty driving hours with a parent or guardian to obtain a license. I think it would be better if some of the sixty required hours were done with a DMV instructor because most teenagers develop bad driving habits from seeing how their parents or guardians drive. Therefore, if they are required to drive with an instructor who will give better constructive criticism, it is more likely they will be better drivers when it comes time to get their license. When a professional teaches people how to incorporate hands-on training and simulations to prepare for real-world scenarios, it will help them gain good driving practices, reduce driving mistakes, and potential deaths due to inadequate driving.

The one car accident experience I had occurred when I was in 5th grade. We were on the way to school one morning, and the car in front of us was going to make a left turn. However, another person was going straight, and he was texting and driving. He did not see the car in front of us trying to turn. That resulted in that car t-boning the car in front of us. My mom immediately got out of our vehicle and proceeded to help the lady and her kids out of their car, just in case it exploded from how much smoke was already accumulating. That was an extremely scary experience because if the lady in front of us had gone earlier, it would have been my family in that accident. That is why it is consequential to put your phone on ‘do not disturb’ when you are driving to avoid the same distractions that led to the accident my family experienced. Simply putting your phone down when you are driving is not efficient enough. It only takes one notification that steals your attention for something life-altering to happen. It is especially crucial to be a defensive driver in the early stages of driving. That means driving like any driver around you may cause harm to you or your vehicle. That helps in becoming a better and safer driver because it will cause you to be hyper-attentive to your surroundings and be ready for anything. It is also crucial when you are driving with other people and notice them practicing or partaking in bad driving habits that you speak up. Because not only are they putting their life in danger, they are putting other people in danger as well. When you speak out against their bad habits it can save their life and others in the future. Many teenagers think driving is simply a fun thing to do to get places, but it is a serious responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, texting and driving, drinking and driving, anything that takes your focus away from the road, may seem fun at the moment, until someone gets seriously injured. Being reminded of the consequences of being a poor driver is also important for encouraging people to be exceptional drivers. Some consequences are vehicle damage, death, substantial injuries, license suspension or revocation, fines, and prison time. None of the things listed are worth the risk. Too many deaths each year are caused by negligent drivers who drive recklessly. A lot of change can be caused by the domino effect of you being a good driver, and influencing someone else to be a good driver. Driver’s education might seem like a means to an end, but it is vital to take the lessons that instructors teach and implement them when you are behind the wheel.