That Could Have Been Me! It’s Better to Learn in the Classroom, Then on the Road.

I started to drive at a relatively young age. My mom started to teach me when I was only 15 years old. She said she felt comfortable showing me how to drive as I had often proved myself to be quite responsible and not much of what someone might consider a wild child. She quickly learned the temptations of acting up once the freedom of knowing how to move a car far outweighs the need to be a trustworthy, well-behaved kid. I snuck out and went on my first joyride only weeks after my first exposure to driving with my mom. I think back to how fast we were going, how many kids were in the car, and how many distractions there were. We were lucky enough to have the car break down and give up very quickly on our adventure. Except for bruised egos, from nearly being arrested and having our parents pick us up, no one was injured. All too often that is not how these stories end. Kids do die. Innocent bystanders are injured. Families and friends are left dealing with the repercussions of careless actions.

After my little escapade, my mother, rightfully so, paused my driving classes and instead decided to enroll me in a formal driver’s education course. Beginners’ drivers’ courses along with Defensive driving courses are important because they follow certain standards for truly creating more responsible drivers. Specific curriculums are created and covered. A parent, a family member, or a friend might be more interested in reminding you to ease off the brake when approaching a stop sign than to look out for reckless drivers who ignore the stop sign altogether. The driving course I took offered brief quizzes between chapters to ensure I was truly understanding the topics covered. If I failed these quizzes, I was offered further instruction and given opportunities to try again. It might sound silly, but I could replay these lessons in my head as I started to practice driving on the road. I was naturally nervous but also confident that I was properly trained in what I should and shouldn’t do on the road.

Unfortunately, there is another group of people who receive all the training in the world and still choose to be reckless. This group can consist of many types of drunk drivers, distracted drivers, and even sleepy drivers. It’s quite difficult to control others’ actions while on the road but I think the greatest way to reduce traffic fatalities is to come down much harder on these violators. Throughout the US law enforcement reports repeat DWI offenders range from 21% to a whopping 47%. DWI arrests are higher in the US than form any other crime. These offenders are given way too many chances and too often are the cause of these traffic fatalities. Take their licenses away. No more probation, second chances, breathalyzer cars. I work in the bar industry, and I witness how these violators find ways around these obstacles. How can you raise a generation of responsible drivers when they have adults, they look up to, getting away with this?

When I was younger, I remember going to eat Menudo with our family after my cousin’s 15th birthday party. We sat in a restaurant eating, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. As we were leaving, my uncle decided he need to make a quick run to the restroom. The rest of the family decided to wait on him. As he came out a little time later and we are walking to our cars we hear the screeching of brakes and turn to witness a truck barreling down the street in front of us. The truck drove over the car waiting at the red light and crushed the passenger in the back seat. The young man, not even 21 years old, died instantly. As the shock wore off from what we all witnessed, the reality sunk in. That could have been me. That could have been any one of those I love. What if my uncle had not decided to go back to the restaurant? We would have been stopped at that intersection. One of us would have been in that back seat.

Drivers’ courses might be more effective if they included videos such as those shared at MADD meetings. Victim impact statements and videos of the aftermath of reckless driving might help reduce traffic fatalities. It is vital basic driving courses cover topics more often covered in defensive driving. New drivers should be taught to identify a potentially dangerous driver or situation. We should all know which way to turn our steering wheel if we hit a patch of black ice. Why do we have to wait until we take our first road trip before being taught the basics of courteous highway driving? We shouldn’t have to. These topics should be taught to all drivers before they are given the privilege of having a license.

A chef isn’t just given a fryer and told to have fun with it. He could potentially seriously injure himself or others. A policeman isn’t just handed a gun and wished good luck. He must receive proper training and certification. Why should drivers be any different? Our two-ton vehicles can be potential weapons. We need to be properly educated on how to handle our cars and how to be wary of those who didn’t receive the proper training.