Pixar Paradise to Reality Roads

Ka-chow! In 2006, Pixar released “Cars,” giving our imaginations a new look into the automotive world. This movie, still viral among my peers, has a special place in my heart. The rural town of Radiator Springs reminds me of my hometown, sparking my interest even more. However, I always wondered how they were taught to drive. In this movie, the people are portrayed as cars, and they all have good driving skills, besides the reckless racing Lightning Mcqueen participates in. Although they are all cars, the operator or “person” controls the actions. So, who taught these vehicles in the movie “Cars” and why aren’t we taught like that?

Being a “good driver” can have a different connotation for each individual. Each city includes a diverse variety of drivers and driving; therefore, there is a significant contrast within the skill level of the individuals. Coming from a rural town, I had to learn and adjust to driving in more populated areas. The teacher you have while learning to drive plays a significant role in how you drive. Each individual should have proper driver education because, with an education, the roads would be safer for every driver.

During my first year, I took the most straightforward class of my high school career, Drivers Ed. Due to Covid, half of the course was online via Google Meets. In my opinion and experience, Covid changed education as a whole. I have never been a school enthusiast, so I took advantage of online learning and worked while I was at school. My family owns a small business, which has offered me many life skills, but driving is not one of them. During this specific Drivers Ed class, I had a fantastic teacher who, unfortunately, had to follow a textbook. It was effortless and shared knowledge. I had been messing around with cars for as long as I can remember. My dad has been and always will be my best teacher. I learned more when I was in elementary school than in that class.

According to “The Zebra,” the top three reasons for road rage are tailgating, distracted driving, and getting cut off. With a better education, these reasons would be eliminated. As taught in Drivers Ed, you are supposed to have minimal distractions at all times. The more there is to distract you, the more you have a risk of injuring yourself or others. However, the class taught me nothing about tailgating and getting cut off. I had to learn how to deal with these situations while learning to drive a vehicle. I would be more prepared if the class had taught me more before I got behind the wheel. As a new driver, I felt more pressure because I was unprepared. Nervous driving is almost equivalent to being distracted; you can overcorrect your driving, which may lead to the death of yourself and others. I am not an expert driver, and I plan on never being one, but there is always something to work on when it comes to driving.

Many people may take being educated as having a diploma or degree, but to me, it is much more. Better education, especially in driver’s teaching, would help the world function better. By educating people better, the death toll of car accidents would lessen significantly. I tend to pay less attention and rush when in a hurry, a habit I am working to break; being late is worth saving my and others’ lives.

The Grant County Beat, a local newspaper, reported on May 31, 2023, a road rage incident that resulted in a shooting. This incident was well known throughout our little town, and everybody was trying to figure out why this man had been killed. We all wondered why this man would leave his rival dead and be found by his wife, who remained in the vehicle until she heard gunshots. This terrible accident remains in my mind anytime I witness a lousy driver and road rage. There is no reason to shoot someone to death, especially over road rage. Our world has come to shootings over road rage, and that is not acceptable; nothing should ever lead to the killing of your kind.

In conclusion, driver education is something that needs to be prioritized more. Knowledge is power, and with an education, you can have the ability to save lives, be responsible, and grow. A Drivers Ed class should have real-life experiences to prepare teens nationwide. In a perfect world, we would have no automotive deaths, but until then, we must work toward a better and safer future.