Why Driver’s Ed?

Let’s face it, kids don’t want to take driver’s education. Well, at least the kids I knew in high school didn’t. Why bother? How hard could it be? I’ve been in a car every day and I see how people drive. Why do I have to spend hours with strange people and a teacher just to please an insurance company or the state of Massachusetts? Driving isn’t hard, right? This was the way I felt before taking driver’s education. I felt quite different after my first ten minutes in the car with another student who almost ran over two people!

On my first day of driver’s ed, myself and two other students got in the car with our instructor. He started talking about how safety starts the minute we get into the car. First, adjust our seat to make sure we can reach the pedals. Then adjust the mirrors and then put on our seatbelts. My only thought was how I already knew all of this and how boring this was going to be. As we pulled out of the parking lot, the student driver seemed a little nervous. I could see why too. It was a bright and sunny day, but the sun was right where the visor ends, making it hard at times to see. Our instructor told him to just take his time and to make a right hand turn at the next light. For the first five minutes, all seemed good. I started staring out the window, counting the minutes until it was my turn. At least then I would have something to do! While we were driving along, I would look at the people on the sidewalks and look into the businesses. I heard the instructor tell the driver to slow down and take a right at the next light. The light was red and he started to slow down. I was watching as a couple was getting ready to cross the street we were turning on. It all happened so fast! Although he was told to stop before turning, he just turned on the red light. I could hear the instructor yell and, I believe, put his foot on the break just in time before we hit the couple trying to cross. We all sat there, frozen, listening to the driver apologize over and over. He said he couldn’t see if the light was red or not because of the sun, so he just turned. The instructor told him this is one reason why it is so important to come to a stop! It was a moment in which I finally realized that I need driver’s education to help me be a safe driver. 

When I think about the steps it takes to help reduce the number of deaths in driving, I think of that moment. Knowledge is powerful and learning how to drive in a controlled environment is key to helping reduce that number. I also know that we can talk about safety over and over again, however, if people don’t follow the rules, we just aren’t safe. One way to ensure that people know the rules that keep us safe is to require people to retake their driver’s test when they have an infraction. It could be used as an incentive to not have points on your license if they retake the road test. We tend to instill some bad habits the more comfortable we become as drivers. My thought would be that if we are held accountable for more than just a ticket, maybe people would be more responsible and not create bad habits in their driving. We live in a time where people are allowed to get away with breaking laws and at some point, we have to take that control back. Another step we could take to help reduce the number of deaths in driving would be that all states require people to take driver’s education regardless of age. According to studies, “There are currently 37 states where driver’s education classes are mandatory, depending on your age.” Most states also incentivize their programs so that if you take driver’s education, they will reduce another requirement. 

Being involved in an accident sure can be a wakeup call to bad habits, even if it’s not a serious one. My older sister would drive us to and from school. She wasn’t the best driver, but I much rather be in a car with her than on the school bus! She was a little spacey when she drove and I was probably more alert than she was out of fear. We were driving down the street after school one day when she got a text. Normally when her phone dings, she would either ignore it or have me read the text to her. For some reason, this time, she picked up her phone to read the text. In that brief moment, the car in front of us stopped and my sister’s reaction time wasn’t enough. We hit the SUV in front of us. We both sat there, after screaming, when my sister turned to me and said, “Don’t tell mom!!” My mother was really big on how our phones are put down when we were driving, which is why every other time she never touched her phone! We got out of the car and the woman in the SUV got out of hers. Luckily, we were all fine and there was no damage to her car. Ours, however, was in need of some help. The only person we could call was our mom and we knew what her first question was going to be. My sister told her that the sun was in her eyes and she didn’t see the brake lights. My mom was more concerned about how we were, that she believed her. I can tell you that I am a hands-off kind of driver! I am thankful for my Apple CarPlay, even though it can still be a distraction. 

I am young, only 20 years old, but I have learned a lot over my brief 4 years of driving. I have learned that driver’s ed really did teach me way more than I thought it would. It may be the knowledge they ingrained in my head or maybe because my instructor was amazing. Either way, one way I know how to be a safe driver is because of that opportunity I thought would be a waste of my time. I continue to learn how to be a better driver by watching other people not be good drivers. I know it sounds weird, but I learn from other’s mistakes. In college, we share stories of bad drivers and then use that to help each other be better drivers. We joke with my friend from California and how we call rolling stops in Massachusetts a “California stop”. She laughs because it is true, however, ever since I brought it up, she has become more aware of when she does it and now does it less! We all have a lot to work on when it comes to being better drivers. Everyone should have driver’s education to, at the very least, ensure that everyone has practice before becoming a licensed driver. In addition, we should hold people more accountable when they receive a driving infraction to ensure they are reminded about the rules of the road. I am grateful for my education and know it has helped me understand the importance of safe driving.