Driver Education 2020 – In the Driver’s Seat

Brandon
Grant
Drivers ed Initiative 2020: In the Driver’s Seat

1/12/2020

When
I was 16, reality hit me like a truck. Literally. I was driving home
from work when suddenly I found myself in the middle of an
intersection with deployed airbags. Once the shock wore off, I
realized that I had collided with another vehicle-a large truck with
a trailer hitched to the back. In this moment, the reality of the
world hit me. Reflecting on this event now, I truly realize how my
actions have consequences which can affect other people. The wreck
immediately motivated me to become a safer driver.

Before
receiving my license, I did take a drivers ed course. Driver
education is important because it teaches drivers how to think and
behave while on the road. By teaching people the rules of the road
and how to drive defensively, people are more prepared drivers. When
drivers are properly educated about the rules and laws, it makes the
roads much safer, thus reducing the number of driving-related deaths.

Driver
education helps to reduce the amount of accidents on the road, but
how can the number of accidents be even lower? I believe that new
drivers should have to work harder to obtain their licence. With
harder requirements, and more awareness, the amount of teen deaths
will decrease. A general drivers ed course is only a week long,
and the end test is quite simple. If the test was more rigorous, then
teen drivers may be more cautious on the road. In addition, only 40
driving hours are required to get a provisional license, and not much
proof is required. I believe changing the required documentation
would ensure teen drivers have more experience before independently
driving on the roads.

In
addition, periodically reminding drivers of current laws is
important. Last year, Georgia implemented the hands-free law, and it
immediately reduced the number of driving related deaths.
Unfortunately, the newness of the law has worn off, and I am seeing
more people driving while looking at their phones. A state campaign
reminding people of the implications of distracted driving would be
beneficial.

Since
the wreck, I have pushed myself to become a safer driver. I take an
extra few seconds to analyze an intersection before I enter. I take
slower turns to allow myself a quicker reaction time. I also practice
being courteous to other drivers. Even though I still have more room
to improve, I can already tell that my efforts are making a big
difference. In addition, I am open with others about the accident and
its impact on me- emotionally and financially. I believe that by
making others aware of my experience, they will learn from my mistake
and be more cautious while driving. Being in a wreck is something
that I wish that no one has to go through in order to be a safer
driver.
I haven’t gotten in a wreck since that incident, but the long-term
implications have certainly stuck with me.