The Future of a Lasting Drivers Ed Experience

The
Future of Drivers Ed:

A phrase
that came up a lot in the car when my mom was teaching me to drive
with a permit was, “didn’t you learn this is Drivers Ed?”.
They were small mistakes, but nonetheless ones that got me asking,
“Did I learn this in Drivers Ed?” And “If so, why can’t I
remember?”.

I was a good
student in these classes. I walked to them from my high school
everyday with my best friend, who was also in the class, and we were
normally some of the first ones there. I spoke to her recently and
found that although we both paid attention, neither of us can
remember much beyond videos about other teens who met tragedy behind
the wheel. These classes are meant to prepare teens for their future
on the road, however, by hammering these warnings into their heads,
it becomes exhausting and overshadows anything else that was trying
to be taught, sometimes even taking away from the very message
they’re attempting to convey.

Now, while I’m
not trying to say these videos aren’t important, there needs to be
a better balance to the lessons so each message gets across to the
students. Rather than watching a video then bubbling in answers that
could be accurately chosen even if the student paid the clip no
attention, there needs to be a way to deliver the message and have it
resonate with the students so they remember it as an actual lesson
and not a dulcet lecture they’ve learned to tune out. It’s not
feasible to plan a class around bringing in a live victim to speak
each time, however there are other ways to teach students the
consequences of reckless driving in ways that stick. A list of
activities that can fit into an hour or less include:

• Looking over
  the costs of repairing cars and or/ looking after a permanently
  injured individual.

• Trying to
  complete tasks without the use of hands to simulate paralysis.

• Listing
  things the students desire to do in the future that will never come
  if they lose their life in a wreck.

Some of these ideas
might seem a bit harsh, however they appear that way because they are
very real and very scary. That’s what’s gonna make the lessons
stick. Instead of wasting days on a routine that pushes information
in one ear and out the other, classes that engage the students and
explain how reckless driving can change their lives, or the life of a
victim forever, are the ones that will last.

Because these
classes would resonate much more, less time can be dedicated to them
with a greater result. Therefore Drivers Ed can focus on the rules
and process of driving, giving students a take away that sticks. With
these two aspects of the class working hand in hand, delivering the
information in a more effective/ balanced manner, Drivers Ed would
help to keep people safe and smart years after they walk out of that
classroom door.

(Below
is data regarding the current Drivers Ed curriculum vs the
potential one I laid out here)