Educate to Save Your Fate

High
school is one of the first steps we take as we start a new chapter of
our lives. It’s where we all experience many “firsts,” like our
first football game or first spirit week. But one of the biggest
firsts of high school is driving for the first time. I remember
dreaming about having my own car and going anywhere without taking
public transportation. However, I had a reality check when I enrolled
in drivers ed.

Now
that I was the person behind the wheel and controlling the vehicle, I
was responsible for not only myself, but for everyone else in my car.
I still feel nervous today, even after being on the road for months:
because even if you follow the rules and do everything right,
accidents still happen. According to Business Insider, the most
common causes of car accidents are distractions, drunk driving,
reckless driving, and running red lights. And sadly, many lives
could’ve been saved if the drivers at fault had been educated
better. When I see a reckless driver, I can’t help but imagine how
much destruction they could have caused. I have a few friends who
text and drive very often, and I’ve watched one too many Snapchat
videos of teen drivers speeding up to 100 mph on the freeway, some
even recording the video themselves! Recently, a friend swore to me
she’d never sit in her teammate’s car again after she gave her a
ride home while driving with a foot
on the wheel.

All
of the recklessness I’ve seen can be prevented. Not just in teens,
but in adult drivers as well. I believe all first-time drivers, no
matter what age, should take drivers ed. In many states, drivers ed
is only mandatory for new drivers under 18; but teenagers aren’t
the only drivers on the road, and many people do not get their
license before they’re 18. Everybody
should be educated on the rules of the road. It is so important
because these new drivers may know how to drive, but how do we ensure
that they aren’t putting themselves and others in danger when they
drive? Mandating drivers ed for everyone is the first step to
eliminating those questions of doubt.

Furthermore,
I believe state governments should keep a closer eye on drivers ed
schools. I’ve heard stories of schools that passed students even if
they didn’t finish all of the necessary lessons. Many of these
schools simply teach students to pass the road test, not to be a
better driver. This is a major problem, because although students
receive their completion certificate, their experience and knowledge
may not reflect that. According
to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, there were about 34,000 car
crashes in 2016,
an average of 100 per
day.
To bring these numbers down, people need to be educated. While we
cannot control the actions of others, we can each do our own part to
save lives: by being safer, smarter, and educated drivers.