Roadmap to Responsibility: the Significance of Driver Education

The first time someone takes a seat in the driver’s side of a car is a memorable one. It can be scary, of course, but, for me, I was eager to be behind the wheel. The first time I rested my hands on my moms leather steering wheel, I remember vividly the adrenaline and excitement pumping through me. When one can’t drive, all they can think about are what possibilities there would be if they could. I used to dream about being able to drive to work instead of walking, taking friends home if they needed, and even being able to scream my favorite songs by myself. The ability to drive opens up so many possibilities, but many forget that the privilege of driving comes with crucial responsibility.

I never truly understood the danger of driving until a young girl in my cheer gym died in an accident two years ago. She was exactly my age. Seeing people in accidents on the news or hearing about it makes it seem so figurative- you know it happens but since it doesn’t affect you directly you don’t really think about it. When my teammates and coaches held an event in her honor, I went to support the family despite not knowing her personally. I was quickly overwhelmed emotionally. Death had never been so real for me, and for it to happen to a girl in my area, who was just like me, was staggering. I hadn’t realized that things like that could genuinely happen to me or the people close to me. Since then, the death toll of people due to car accidents has continued to increase. Most recently in my area, five teenagers tragically died when the driver lost control of the car and they ended up underwater.

This is why driver education is so important. When learning how to drive, even the simplest parts can be frustrating, as people who are teaching it have usually been driving for a couple years and could drive using muscle memory. Not only can the learning be frustrating, but many view the class as boring and consider it basic knowledge. But it is so important. Not only does it teach you the foundation of driving, (breaking, using signals, and the basic rules of the road) as well as safety precautions, (checking your mirrors and using a seatbelt), but it also teaches you the vital importance of the risks to expect on the road- from drunk drivers to losing control of the vehicle. Even knowing a fraction of these things could save multiple lives.

Personally, I know so many people at my school who drive without a license that it’s not much of a surprise when I find out anymore. I believe that the way to decrease the number of deaths involving driving is to have law enforcement, schools, and even parents put more of an emphasis on unsafe driving. While I understand that some steps are being taken, putting a simple “don’t drink and drive” poster up in the cafeteria is not enough. To attract more people,we need to alter the driver education classes to be more engaging and educate people more on the benefits of taking the class, such as the fact that some states will let you get your permit at an earlier age, require fewer behind-the-wheel hours, or let you skip the driving test. In Florida, students are not required to take the test but we are required to take a mandated Law and Substance Education course before applying for a license, which I believe more states should do.

I want to improve my safety as a driver by holding myself and my friends accountable. While it’s tempting to speed when I’m late to class, or laugh when my friend accidentally blows a stop sign, it is better to take responsibility in not encouraging that behavior than to worry about damaging a friendship. On top of that, people at my age are drawn to not only parties but also their phones. Spreading the idea of driving safely, not under the influence, and avoiding distractions such as texts will continue to be a priority for me.

Driving is something that we all have to do. We all share the roads, and, at the end of the day, we all just want to get home. No one wants to see any of their family members or friends turn into another number or casualty due to a narrow education.

Lives are priceless. Driver education is priceless.