Education on the Road

Education
on the Road

As
an inexperienced yet mindful driver, I believe that as with many
things in life, learning the ins and outs of any topic can only yield
better results. Drivers ed may be the only exposure where
some young drivers get an opportunity to dive into important driving
related topics. Many people can study for a test, but to be included
in a drivers ed course, young drivers not only learn the
rules of the road, they are presented with real life circumstances
and have the opportunity to discuss them. This opportunity is
essential for young drivers to learn the great responsibility of
driving a vehicle down a busy road. A vehicle is a powerful machine
that cannot be underestimated.

I
believe education is the most important step to be taken to reduce
the number of senseless deaths on our roads. Educating people by
talking about the experiences they have either been involved in or
have been personally affected by are crucial ways to influence young
drivers. Relatability is a tool that makes something not just a
statistic on paper but puts a face to the problem. Having speakers
who have been personally affected by driving choices puts a real face
to numbers in a pamphlet.

Thankfully
I have not personally been involved in an accident. However, I have
been personally touched by a vehicular accident that changed the
shape of my family. My grandmother was killed in a vehicular
accident while my dad was in 7^th
grade. My aunt was driving down a gravel road with my grandmother in
the passenger seat. There was no gross negligence involved when
control was lost. It pains me to say that seat belts were not in use
though. That being said, the educational push to wear seatbelts is
proof that educating helps saves lives. In 1986 it definitely was
not talked about as much as it is now.

As
a young driver who has not been put in many driving situations, I
value what I have been taught in my drivers ed course. I
am thankful that I have the courage and conviction to stand up and
say something if I feel that I am being put in an unsafe situation
while in a car. Making it “cool” to do the right thing can only
serve for the betterment of our society. Putting a new driver in a
position to either physically practice maneuvers or creating
hypothetical situations in which they put real life friendships and
relationships on the line is a practical learning tool. Being put in
a protective situation or environment where someone can feel the
power (whether mentally or physically) of driving is an influential
lesson that will hopefully make a difference when presented with a
driving situation. Education and the sharing of real-life
experiences can only help give other young drivers the confidence to
make good choices when getting behind the wheel or being a passenger
in a vehicle.