Behind The Wheel

As a child, I still remember all the road trips me and my family would take when we used to live in Texas. I still remember the beautiful scenery that surrounded us and all the beautiful memories we made. However, I remember how well my dad drove while on those road trips. It seems a bit silly to say “wow you drive so well” since most of us consider driving to be a normal part of our busy lives. However, as a kid I always felt safe whenever my dad was behind the wheel. As I grew up, I remember my parents telling me how excited they were for me to start driving once I turned sixteen. I too was excited to start driving and while in high school I started a driver’s education course at my local driving school. Every week, I would attend the courses. Before starting the courses, I already knew that with driving came certain risks, but while attending the courses my whole perspective on driving began to shift. My preconceived notion that driving was just a fun activity transformed into the firm belief that driving is a dangerous activity that should be handled with great caution. After completing my driver’s education courses, I was of course excited to now be able to take my driver’s test. However, I also left my driving school with new knowledge pertaining to the importance of driver’s education. Driver’s education is more than just educating individuals about the act of driving. Driver’s education is an opportunity for people to be exposed to the grim reality of driving.

Every day at each waking second a person can find themselves in a car crash which can often times be fatal. Educating people about the risks of driving, which includes death, starts from the individual. This is what the sole purpose of driver education is, to enlighten people that driving is an inherently risky activity that should be taken seriously. Through driver education people learn the real risks of driving which can help mold them into cautious drivers with the hopes of reducing the amounts of vehicle related deaths on the road. The saying with “great power comes great responsibility” can be applied to driving. Driving an up to 5,000lbs vehicle made of metal surely requires great responsibility and knowledge both which driver education can provide. Driver’s education can also start form the home. Parents play a crucial role in educating their children about the risks of driving. As veteran drivers, parents should be one the sources young drivers should seek to learn more about the risks that come with driving. I remember all the times my dad would tell me, “While driving you are operating a machine that could potentially kill someone”. While blunt, my dad was truly right. We often take driving for granted and are not aware that we are operating a metal machine on wheels that could cause great damage if we’re not careful. While it is a small step, making parents responsible for educating their young drivers is a crucial step to making the roads a safer place and reducing the number of care-related deaths.

While I have not been involved in a car accident, my dad was involved in a car accident while on his way to work one day. He was at a red light and suddenly a car rear ended his car. While there was no significant damage to the car itself, the crash left my dad with a great amount of physical pain. To this day, my dad deals with back pain and as a result can’t stand for long periods of time. In my eyes my day is an experienced driver, so I never thought that he would find himself in a car accident. However, his situation lets me know that no matter how long you have been driving or how good you think you are at driving, there is still a chance that you might end up in a car crash. This lets me know that the goal of driving is to not eliminate the chances of getting into a crash. The goal of driving is to beware of the risks and drive responsibly so you can lower the chances of being in a crash.

For me, the ultimate way for me to be a safer driver is to be fully engaged while I’m on the road. We all live busy lives so it can be easy for us to not give driving a second thought. We get in our cars, close the door, buckle up, check our mirrors, start the car, put it in drive, and drive away. Those simple tasks become so ingrained in us that driving begins to feel like second-hand nature. We get on the road and often times our minds wander off somewhere else and we’re not full in the moment of driving. The moment we start to lose our focus while driving, is the moment we become potential victims of the road. While driving, I always make sure to constantly keep my eyes moving. I constantly scan ahead for different signs, signals, other drivers, and pedestrians. However, I always make sure to anticipate the worst. While this may sound like a bad thing, being prepared for whatever may happen while driving will make anyone a defensive driver and lower their chances of being in a crash and a danger to other drivers on the road.

Driving is one of the main modes of transportation and yet most people are not aware of the potential risks that come along with it. Most of us take driving for granted and are oblivious of actually how dangerous driving is. This is where driver’s education comes in. Through educating future drivers on how dangerous driving is and how to lower their chances of being in a crash, we can make the roads a much safer place.