In The Driver’s Seat

Driver education in today’s society plays a role of utmost importance in reducing the number of traffic fatalities in our nation.

Gone are the days of children learning to operate a vehicle early in life. Of driving the tractor or the old farm truck through the wide open fields of the homestead. Nothing to hit there but a clod of dirt and by the time the child was sixteen they could already control a large, motorized vehicle and understand the power of the same.

Gone are the days of rural roads with few vehicles, of people cherishing their cars because they were hard to come by and the family usually had only one. Most young people did not have a car and only on occasion were allowed to drive the family car. By the time they could afford a vehicle of their own, they were usually older, wiser and more mature drivers.

Today’s drivers start from the get-go on busy city streets at the young age of 15. There is no room for error on city streets and freeways. Kids have their own cars often times before they are even out of high school. Parents are often more affluent and buy their child a car, if for no other reason than to give the parent freedom from having to chauffeur them to the myriad activities today’s teens participate in.

One can, therefore, see why Driver Education is today more important than ever. Young people, whose brains are not fully developed, who have poor impulse control, and are easily distracted are turned loose on crowded highways in three thousand pound projectiles.

Without Driver Education to impress upon new drivers the importance of attention to the details of safe driving the death rate on our roads would be even higher than it is. Stressing the importance of eliminating distractions such as cell phones, radios, friends in the car, roadside vistas, and in-car apps is just the beginning. Educating the driver on maintaining a safe vehicle, knowing the rules of the road, becoming a courteous driver and realizing the damage a vehicle can cause are also necessary to creating a safe driver.

I am an older student, going back to college in retirement to realize my dream of becoming a college graduate. This puts me in a unique place to share my memories of poor driving that I have witnessed in my time.

I remember saving up for my first car. Before I purchased the car, I made sure to take the Driver Education program offered by my high school. This gave me a good foundation for safe driving by providing a good basic understanding of the motor vehicle and the practical application of driving skills.

My main impetus for wanting a car of my own was not to run around with friends, but was the fact that my mother and step-father were both very bad drivers. My mother had the classic “lead foot” and raced from one place to another like a house on fire. She would be in at least a crash a month and this was back in the days before seat belts.

I spent most of the time in the vehicle with her either laying down on the back seat or hunkered down on the floor of the car, always fearing the next crash.

My step-father was a former taxi driver and tractor-trailer driver and, therefore, practiced both speeding and aggressive driving. To add to the mix – he never drove without a six-pack of beer in a cooler beside him on the front seat and an open can of beer in his left hand as he steered with his right. I learned early on how NOT to drive and looked forward to being able to safely drive myself to the places I needed to go. I rarely ever again rode with either of them driving after I was able to get my own car.

At this point in my life I continue to practice safe driving. I’ve learned the limits of my age, such as slower reaction times and poorer night vision and have adjusted my driving habits accordingly.

Now, my grandchildren are learning to drive and I am encouraging them to take Driver Education in school and reminding them of the importance of safe, sober, un-distracted driving. I encouraged them not to rush into getting their license or to feel pressure from peers to do so. This helped my grandson to feel okay with waiting until he was 20 to get his license, because he just didn’t feel ready. I am proud that they are taking driving seriously and are taking advantage of good Driver Education programs.

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