Thinking Under Pressure

Proper
drivers ed is more than just an understanding of how the roads
work and the laws governing your vehicle. It is also the use of
rational thinking while under pressure in unexpected driving
situations. Drivers ed must include the aspect of critical
thinking to ensure the safety of everyone on the road. Outside of the
road signage tests, parallel parking, and firsthand driving with an
experienced instructor, I recommend the implementation of another
test for driver approval. While situated in the car, the driving
instructor should explain a few possible real-life scenarios and give
the respondent limited time to answer as to their immediate course of
action. These could range from situations like a car suddenly
stopping in front of you to failing breaks on the highway. This test
would not only promote critical thinking by drivers but would also
officialize the importance of driving safe to avoid such instances.

The
issue of safe driving is especially important to my own family as we
had a close call with an irresponsible and dangerous driver. About
two years ago we were on the highway headed off to Florida on a
family trip when an accident occurred. The roads were very wet as a
storm had just passed through, but cars were still driving recklessly
as if the roads were dry. We were especially concerned about a
particular large truck who was towing a boat and going over the speed
limit. For almost 10 minutes, our family would cast occasional weary
glances at the driver as he inched ever closer to the rear end of our
car. When the car in front of us suddenly stopped, my father quickly
followed suit and, thankfully, was able to stop our car. He was
prepared as he left himself excessive between us and the car in front
of us given the conditions. Unfortunately, the truck behind us had
taken not such precautions and barreled into our rear bumper. While
nobody was hurt in the five-car-pileup, our rear bumper and that of
the person in front of us were completely misshapen and destroyed. If
the truck driver had only taken the proper precautions of accounting
for the wet roads, the boat he was towing, and his excessive speed
than the accident would have more than likely been avoided. It is
situations like these that I hope to avoid into the future and why it
is of upmost importance that the skill of reasoning be essential for
drivers.

I
will be instituting a crude version of the critical thinking course
for myself and for my immediate family. I will use this course as a
guide to help my younger sister who just received her full license in
October. In the summer, I plan to start group sessions in a similar
manner where we go over the safety features of cars and how to
respond to accidents. All of this, I hope, can properly teach others
how to remain safe while driving on the road.