Driver Education: Behind the Wheel

Imagine yourself in the following scenario: it’s your second time driving alone, and you revel in the newfound freedom of not relying on your mother to pick you up from work every night. While on the road, you realize that your visibility is compromised, prompting you to switch on your high beams. However, as you pass other vehicles, you notice that they are flashing their headlights at you, leaving you puzzled. In your confusion, you make the ill-advised decision to check your phone while driving to ask Siri why this is happening. Unfortunately, this distraction causes your car to swerve off the road and collide with a nearby tree. Thankfully, your airbag deploys, and you escape without serious injuries. As you step out of the car to assess the damage, you feel lost and unsure about what to do next. Scenarios like this show common mistakes drivers make that can lead to serious injury to themselves and other drivers. In a world where driving has become an essential part of our lives, driver’s education is one of the most important ways to prevent driving-related injuries and deaths. Teaching drivers the rules of the road is paramount to teach them the knowledge, skills, and attitudes vital for safely navigating the roads safely.

The Need for Driver Education

Driver education reduces driving-related fatalities by teaching responsible behavior, essential skills, and rules. The CDC reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. In fact, teens 16-19 are three times more likely to crash than drivers twenty and older. In the given scenario, a smart driver would have refrained from using their brights while passing someone, as it blinds oncoming traffic, and they would never use a cell phone while operating a vehicle. These basic rules equip drivers with the ability to anticipate and react to potential hazards, reducing the likelihood of accidents. Driver education also teaches the importance of respecting traffic laws and other significant factors like seat belt usage, speed limits, and avoiding distractions. Many teenagers consider this information boring, believing they will never need to know more than the basic traffic signals: red means stop, orange means slow down, and green means go. That’s all they are willing to learn and information like the dangers of distracted driving or drunk driving are not retained in their young minds. Uneducated drivers are more likely to drive recklessly. Real-life incidents, like the one involving my friend Katie, underscore the importance of increased awareness and education to prevent such preventable accidents. Katie, who was 17 at the time, wrecked her car on her way home after work one night because she was on her phone and failed to see a road curve, resulting in her car flipping upside down in a ditch. Fortunately, Katie was not seriously injured, but just a few days later, she wrecked another car due to another instance of distraction. Consequently, her parents banned her from driving for a period. These incidents serve as a reminder of how different these accidents could have ended and highlight the need for increased awareness and education to address this issue.

While I personally have never been in a car accident, Katie’s experience has made me acutely aware of the dangers of careless driving. It is crucial for every driver, especially young ones, to recognize the potential risks and consequences of their actions on the road.

Promoting Responsible Behavior

One of the best, yet ignored, ways to be a better and safer driver is by wearing a seatbelt. Not wearing a seatbelt can be the difference between life and death in a car crash. Seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45% and the risk of serious injury by 50%. Seat belts stop drivers and passengers from being thrown out, reducing the risk of fatal injuries. In 2020, the CDC reported that of 2,680 teen drivers 16-19 who were killed in a car crash, 1,568 (56%) of them were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Before I head out with friends, I make sure everyone is wearing a seatbelt. I believe it is better to be safe than sorry. Seat belts save lives and wearing and enforcing others can prevent accidents and deaths.

It is vital to educate yourself and others on traffic laws and safety regulations. This can be as easy as obeying traffic lights, yielding to emergency vehicles, and using turn signals. It is also important to practice defensive driving techniques such as staying alert, maintaining a safe following distance, and anticipating the actions of other drivers can reduce the risk of an accident or death. A safe following distance is 3 seconds or 3 cars-length to avoid accidents from sudden (hard) braking. Hard braking is irresponsible unless done so with emergency circumstances like avoiding a hazard. On the other hand, brake checking, intentionally slamming the brakes in front of another vehicle, is illegal and a sign of aggressive driving. I was brake-checked one time by an aggressive driver on the interstate and barely avoided the collision. Drivers should have enough traffic and safety laws before operating a vehicle.

Avoiding distractions while driving is crucial for drivers. Distractions come in three forms: visual, manual, and cognitive. Texting covers all three because your eyes are off the road, you are driving with one or no hands, and your mind is on the conversation, not the road. For this reason, texting increases your chances of a crash 2 to 9 times. For example, my friend Katie would not have crashed if she was not on her phone. Teaching drivers to silence their phones or have a passenger answer keeps the driver focused on the road. Other forms of distractions include eating, radio, navigation, and passengers. Safe drivers are attentive and avoid distractions behind the wheel.

Knowing how to react in an emergency can save your life. Many teens do not know what to do when they hydroplane leading to panic driving which can cause a wreck and 90% of drivers do not know how to jump-start a car. Hydroplaning happens when your tire loses traction and starts riding on a film of water. It occurs when drivers exceed 35 mph. A few years ago, my dad hydroplaned with me and my brother in the back seat heading home from Lexington, Ky. Luckily, he knew to lightly pump the brakes and steer into the skid until he regained traction. I had to jump-start my car for the first time. I had no idea what I was doing until I googled how to do it. Red goes to positive, black goes to negative on the dead battery, and unpainted metal on the working battery. I Facetimed my dad to walk me through the progress just in case I made an error. It’s hard to anticipate emergency situations but learning how to react can save your life.

Car maintenance is important for your safety and your car’s longevity. I must make reminders on my phone to keep up with my car’s maintenance. Tire rotations, oil changes, and headlight replacements are essential for keeping your car running smoothly. Tire rotations are necessary because tires wear unevenly over time. By rotating the tires regularly, you ensure that each tire wears evenly, which creates a smoother driving surface and extends the life of the tires. Regular oil changes are crucial for engine longevity. Oil lubricates the internal parts of the engine, dissipates heat from combustion, and helps prevent excessive engine wear. The frequency of oil changes depends on the make and model of your car. Neglecting oil changes can lead to engine overheating, excessive wear, and even engine damage or failure. Headlights play a vital role in enhancing driver visibility, especially in low-light conditions. They allow drivers to identify potential dangers on the road and respond promptly. Over time, headlights can become dim or develop cracks or other damage, which compromises their effectiveness. It is important to replace faulty or damaged headlights promptly to ensure clear visibility and to be visible to other drivers. Driving with only one or no headlights is illegal in all 50 states. Properly functioning headlights help prevent accidents by allowing other drivers and pedestrians to see you on the road. Routine maintenance helps prevent unexpected breakdowns by addressing any issues before they become major problems.

You Booze, You Cruise, You Lose

Alcohol is a substance that can reduce brain function, affecting judgment, awareness, and reaction time. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) measures the amount of alcohol in a specific volume of blood. Drivers with a BAC of .01 are considered impaired. It is illegal for drivers under 21 to have a BAC of .02 or more, and those who are caught may have their license revoked or suspended. Driving under the influence can lead to fatal accidents and death. Therefore, it is vital to teach teens to never operate a vehicle while impaired or ride with a drunk driver. Drunk teens are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as texting and speeding. Considering the increasing stopping distances for cars as speed increases, it becomes even more dangerous. For instance, a car driving at 80 mph would require a braking distance of 320 feet and a stopping distance of 429 feet. Now, imagine if it’s a drunk teen driver texting behind the wheel. Will that drunk driver react fast enough to slow down and avoid an accident? Or is it more likely that they won’t have enough time and end up wrecking? It is widely known that the faster you go, the more severe the impact of a crash. Newton’s second law of motion explains this concept, stating that force equals mass times acceleration. Our organs are not designed to withstand the force created by high-speed crashes. For these reasons, it is crucial to teach teens that they should never hesitate to call a parent or guardian to come pick them up instead of risking their lives by driving home intoxicated. After a prom party, I drove three of my drunk friends home that night because they did not have a ride. It is important to note that driving drunk not only puts your life at risk but also the lives of your passengers and other drivers on the road. If I drove my friends home drunk, then all our lives would have been endangered. The risks of car crashes are much higher in teens with a low BAC compared to older drivers. Alcohol affects teens differently due to their ongoing growth and development, leading to stronger alcohol effects than in adults. Each day, eight teens die in DUI accidents at all levels of BAC. Driving sober is vital for the safety of all drivers because it ensures clear judgment, sharp reflexes, and focused attention on the road.

Driver Education Campaigns

It is crucial to campaign against reckless driving with memorable slogans such as “Stay Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive” or “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”. These initiatives aim to prevent and warn drivers about the dangers and consequences of driving while intoxicated. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), May and June are the months with the highest fatalities occurring among teen drivers. These months end of the school year in which teens celebrate the start of summer. Local radio ads in Somerset play the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” ad. I’m not sure of its efficacy, but I know it reminds me of the dangers of driving drunk. It is the responsibility of individuals to make the right choice, and by raising awareness of all the dangers associated with drunk driving, we can decrease the likelihood of a person driving under the influence. Car crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths in the U.S., yet most high schools do not offer driver education courses. By teaching teenagers about safe driving in an engaging manner, we can prevent accidents and enhance their confidence on the road. Responsible young drivers play a crucial role in shaping the future of our roads and ensuring a safe driving environment.

In conclusion, driver education is an important part of the learning process for any person who wants to obtain a driver’s license. Driver education helps individuals learn the rules of the road and develop the skills necessary to drive safely and confidently. It also provides valuable information on topics such as traffic laws, defensive driving, and emergency response. Driver education is especially important for young drivers, who are more likely to be involved in a crash than any other age group. By taking a driver education course, young drivers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to make sound decisions behind the wheel and reduce their risk of being involved in a crash. To make driver education more accessible, it needs to be added in the high school curriculum along with public awareness campaigns. Saving a life can be as easy as wearing a seatbelt and avoiding distractions while driving. I’ll never forget what Katie told me after she wrecked her cars, she told me to “never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly”. I don’t know where she got that from, but it has stuck with me and emphasizes the importance of safe driving.

Sources:

https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/seat-belt-statistics/#:~:text=A%20seat%20belt%20is%20designed%20to%20keep,car%2C%20it%20almost%20always%20causes%20fatal%20injury.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving

https://www2.courtinfo.ca.gov/stopteendui/teens/facts/teen-driving-crash-and-fatality-stats.cfm#:~:text=Eight%20teens%20die%20every%20day,teens%20than%20 for%20 older%20 drivers.

https://www.automotive-fleet.com/driver-care/239402/driver-care-know-your-stopping-distance

https://www.nsc.org/safety-first-blog/do-teens-admit-to-texting-and-driving-

https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/teen-driver-facts-and-statistics/#:~:text=May%20and%20June%20are%20when,(IIHS)