Name: Erich Gerstlauer
From: Kintnersville, PA
Votes: 0
Rules
of the Road
Within a couple
of years of having my driver’s license, I was exposed to many
instances that reinforced the importance of drivers ed.
When I was a sophomore, a senior at my school lost control of her car
and sadly did not survive. I know countless people who have totaled
their cars and become injured all within the first year of having
their licenses. I have observed irresponsible behaviors such as:
speeding, poor use of turn signals, inconsistent seatbelt usage,
texting while driving, putting on make-up while driving, and even
tweezing eyebrows while driving. The list can go on and on. This
just proves that drivers ed should not be an option. It
should be mandatory and it needs to improve.
The importance of
education should not be minimized. I am not talking about attending
classroom sessions where a teacher is trying to educate students on
driver safety, or about the use of standardized road course tests
which, to me, do very little to assess a driver’s competency.
Prospective drivers need hands-on, practical experience. This could
be accomplished by mandating longer driver training permit periods.
Training should be provided by multiple experienced drivers, all with
good driving records. Parents should not be the only one’s
providing “on the road” training as they may unknowingly teach
unsafe practices. For optimal results, drivers should not receive
licensure until they demonstrate safety operating their vehicles in
multiple different environments, including urban, rural and
metropolitan settings, if able.
Experienced drivers need to realize that they are setting an example
for those around them. Experienced drivers need to wear their seat
belts, slow down, stop texting, stop multi-tasking, and respect other
drivers. If young, soon-to-be drivers observe unsafe driving
habits then they are more likely to repeat those behaviors in
the future.
Soon-to-be
drivers need to provide feedback to experienced drivers because many
drivers inadvertently display unsafe practices, not realizing how
this compromises everyone’s safety. Experienced drivers need to
take constructive feedback to heart and pay attention. Making the
roads safer will be swifter and easier if everyone can work together.
A plan to make
roads safer must address the use of electronics while driving. For
years, the dangers of texting while driving have been shown, but it
is still a common occurrence. Many innovations are now in place
which inhibit unsafe practices while driving, but no one has
successfully addressed limiting electronics use. A private or
corporate sponsor should provide an incentive to anyone who creates a
device that blocks and/or limits cell phone usage within a vehicle.
Anytime anyone
gets behind the wheel he/she is responsible for how they drive and
what they do, therefore, education and training are crucial. Every
time I get behind the wheel, I wear my seatbelt, I make sure my
passengers wear seatbelts, I follow speed limits, I stay off my
phone, and I practice the “rules of the road”. Proper driver’s
education could be the difference between life and death.
