Driving Cautious Behaviors into New Drivers

Katelyn
Jaime

Driver
Education Initiative Scholarship

Driving
Cautious Behaviors into New Drivers

As
fatalities in the United States that result from driving continue to
devastate the nation with numbers surpassing 30,000 each year (DMV),
it is evident that there must be action taken to counteract the
reckless driving habits that cause such tragic deaths. In addition to
accidents that result in damage other than fatalities, such as
physical harm to a being or a car, driving fatalities can and must be
prevented. The most effective way to decrease the number of fatal car
accidents is to ensure that all drivers possess the knowledge and
capacity to safely operate a vehicle through the practice of driver
education.

By
informing drivers of the safe practices that they should be using
while driving, drivers ed will reduce the mistakes that drivers
make that result in fatal accidents. Firstly, drivers ed seeks
to inform drivers of the traffic rules, such as when to stop, go and
yield, how closely to follow other cars, and how fast one should
drive. In doing so, drivers ed will reduce the risk that one
takes when he or she enters and operates a vehicle. Also, driver
education can illustrate to a driver the risks of performing actions
such as driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, or driving
while distracted by texting or other forms of disturbances. Driver
education also provides the most valuable tool through which a driver
can learn: practice. By allowing the driver to practice in a
controlled environment with a professional instructor, the driver can
safely make mistakes and learn from them in order to better his or
her future driving. Drivers ed is a preliminary precaution that
is set to ensure that a driver understands the implications of his or
her actions on the road and the catastrophic events that could result
from such actions.

As
practiced in drivers ed, some safe behaviors on the road are as
follows. The most important thing one can do to protect his or her
own safety is to wear a seatbelt, which will reduce the impact of a
car accident if one occurs. The rest of the safe behaviors are the
responsibility of the driver. The driver must not proceed to drive if
he or she has consumed alcohol or ingested any drugs, as they can
impair the driver’s ability to perceive and process his or her
surroundings, which will negatively impact his or her driving.
Finally, texting or distracted driving must also be avoided, as it
will cause the driver’s attention to be averted from the road so
that they do not properly control the vehicle. By personally
practicing the aforementioned procedures and reminding others to do
the same, I can personally reduce the chances of causing a fatal
accident.