Drivers Ed for the New Millennium

Drivers Ed for the New Millennium

By Isabella Pallotta

I was an arrogant 16 year old, ready to drive without knowing
anything about road rules. “Why do I need to know all this? Just
let me drive the car and I’ll learn as I go.” Unbelievable! The
importance of drivers ed is clear to me now and was meant to
keep unequipped drivers like myself from endangering others. Driver
education makes it clear that driving isn’t just a simple way to
get from point A to point B. It’s a complicated task that requires
undistracted focus and a lot of experience in order to become good at
it.

Easy
access to drivers ed is important. I know this because it’s
not available through my school district. So I have to convince two
busy parents to teach me or pay a significant amount of money for a
service. Because of its importance to everyday life, it seems like
there should be programs available to everyone that provide this
hands on experience. Programs required by cities or public schools,
for example, and paid for with tax dollars. Simulation driving
should be a standard, especially with advancements in technologies
like virtual reality.

Proper
drivers ed, available free to everyone is one thing. But also,
addressing technological changes is important too. Of course, these
days that means dealing with cell phone technology. Streaming video,
messages, voice calls, and more are serious distractions and need to
be stressed in drivers ed, not just mentioned. Staying current
with technological changes and distractions can help save lives.

I’ve
been lucky enough to not be in an accident but I have seen my family
using irresponsible behavior while driving. The two things I’ve
seen the most are road rage reactions and texting. I always say
something when I see them do this. I try to be the voice of reason
to calm them down or remind that not to look at their phone. It
works. And when I drive, I remind myself that any check of the phone
can wait. If I need directions, I either study the map before I
leave or I ask a passenger to navigate me.

Access
to free drivers ed would be for the greater good. All of
society benefits, mainly from the decrease in traffic fatalities,
injuries, and other accident related costs. Drivers ed needs to
be accessible to all and include the most current technological
considerations, while using technology, like virtual reality, to help
prepare new drivers for the road.