
Name: Montserrath Oseguera
From: Mesquite, Texas
Votes: 16
Prioritizing Drivers Education and Learning from Mistakes
Driving a motorized vehicle. An action that is often overlooked as simple and harmless because the odds of something life-changing happening remain low among someone’s loved ones, community, or town. “All of my years driving, and I haven’t gotten in an accident,” is a phrase I have heard from people as close as family to strangers, but the heartrending truth is that car accidents can happen to anyone regardless of being caused by one’s driving or another. “Oh, but that won’t happen to me…” yet statistics show otherwise, increasing more and more every year due to careless and distracted driving.
One of the ways states in the United States have attempted to reduce the number of deaths on the road is by “enforcing traffic laws and state police” to patrol streets and highways. This method significantly changes the number of car accidents, but drivers remain lacking knowledge of driver education… 37 out of 50 states require teens and adults to take driver’s education courses ranging from six to thirty-three hours. These hour courses don’t include behind-the-wheel and supervised driving training that is required by some states. If you didn’t catch it, only 37 states require someone to take a driver’s education course depending on age which means the remaining states lack these courses for their residents.
I live in Texas, so before I could receive my learner’s permit I had to go through a driver education course, through which I learned about the basics of modern cars, driving, and Texas’s state traffic laws, but most importantly in my opinion were the stories of children, teenagers, and adults who had their lives changed or taken away from them because of the dangers of driving. You might think that this is something anybody could learn from the internet or a form of entertainment and you can, but would you find yourself taking the time to learn from it if you weren’t required to? The desolate thought between “would you and if you” is why driver’s education is important to learn from and can reduce the number of deaths from car accidents.
These are three steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths from car accidents. The first step should be taken state-wide in states that don’t require people to take driver’s education courses. Driver education courses becoming a requirement to the process of obtaining a learner’s permit/driver’s license would give people the opportunity to learn in person or online by instructors introducing them to topics that aren’t mentioned in adolescent schools. Another step that could be taken in those said states is informing driver education students about the dangers of driving and getting those students to understand that driving is not a joke, but a privilege that can be taken away in an instant! While I went through my driver’s education course I knew that what I was being taught was serious, and that is how I pertained to it. Remembering that a car accident can happen at any moment regardless of your experience and skill keeps you on your toes, so precautions like knowing the area and being aware is another step I recommend taking…
In 2023 during my Thanksgiving break, I went out with my friend. On our way to a mall, we were blasting music and were excited to go to all the stores that our local mall doesn’t have. We had fun shopping, eating, and being with each other, but it didn’t last for long because while walking back to my car, my friend asked me if we could go to a pharmacy for some make-up. As I was parking at the pharmacy I was talking to my friend, and that’s when everything went silent and I heard a collision. I was confused and wasn’t sure what happened because of how distracted I was. A few seconds later I realized that I hit someone’s parked car. I looked up at the stares of the children in the car that I hit. They looked confused, scared, and mad at me. By that point, I was done parking but had done the damage already. The car I hit didn’t have much impact or hurt anyone, but my car did, and I had to take it. I waited patiently for the owner of the car and we exchanged information. My car accident was caused by careless and distracted driving.
Since then some steps that I have taken to prevent any future accidents are precautions, music changes, and focusing my attention on the road 100%. Before pulling off my parking spot I make sure that everyone in the car is wearing a seatbelt, and is ready for me to start the ride. Then I make sure my mirrors are in the right place for me to see every angle while driving. Something else I have done to prevent becoming distracted is the type of music that I play while driving. I don’t play exciting loud music any more, but rather calming and relaxing music. Last but not least, I keep my attention span on the road even if I have people in my car. Their safety and mine are my top priority and responsibility when I’m driving. I give my family members and friends a ride most of the time, so I am hoping that the way I drive will show them safe driving for them to take in and overall make them better future drivers.