The Importance of Driver’s Education

Driving is one of the most dangerous things out there. It can be dangerous because of the other drivers on the road, the amount of distractions, or just careless drivers. To learn all the rules of the road and how to be a safe driver, we have to take driver’s education before we are given the opportunity to get behind the wheel.

When first learning to drive, new drivers are excited to be given new freedom. This causes them to not think too much about road safety or other drivers that are on the road. Parents and other elderly drivers have been pushing for new drivers to all go through driver education so they know how to properly drive and assess different situations. As a new driver, the class was very boring, and I did not understand why I had to take it when my parents were teaching me everything about driving. As I drive more and more, I have realized that my parents did not teach me everything that I learned in driver’s education. Although the class was boring, I believe I learned a lot of things that have helped me become a safer and better driver on the road. This stuff includes being aware of what is in the road and the other drivers surrounding me. Taking the class will help all drivers understand the rules of the road and help them learn how to be aware of their surroundings. In driver’s education, we are taught what to do when there is an unsafe situation or when we are unaware of what to do in a situation. This helps drivers navigate a situation better, leading to more drivers being educated in safe driving and leading to fewer accidents or at least less severe accidents.

Some things that can reduce death by driving are regulations for getting a license. Driving tests are very short and only include a few light and few stop signs. Driving instructors should spend time with students behind the wheel before the test so they can practice on different roads with different obstacles. During the test, the proctor should stage more hazards so students know what to do with pedestrians crossing or cars coming into their lane so students know how to assess different situations. With shorter tests, making a few turns and stopping at very few lights and signs that do not give an instructor enough information to know if a student is a good driver or not. I think we should make driving tests longer with different obstacles to understand how the drivers drive and how they would manage situations on the road.

Although I have not been in a car accident, my cousin, who I was very close to, was in one. Back in May 2021, my 35-year-old cousin was driving home from a night shift. Although she was very aware of her surroundings and a very cautious driver for the time of day and the road conditions, she could not prevent the accident from happening. A semi-truck veered into her lane after the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The truck hit her head on, killing her instantly. The car accident affected all the family immensely. I was very close with her, but I was closer to her daughter, who was my age. Her mental health declined, which led to mine declining. Deaths have a negative impact on family members, but deaths caused by car accidents that can not be prevented seem to have a bigger impact on people.

To be a better and safer driver, I could watch my speed better and pay more attention to the road, especially at night. All drivers can improve by having a sound mind and watching their speeds. As well as being aware of all surroundings and road hazards. One thing that the government can regulate: phone usage. We use whether or not we are in the car. When outside of the car, we are on them when walking in the streets, causing a hazard to those behind the wheel. Behind the wheel, we use phones as GPS devices or music devices, but sometimes they we use phones to feed our social hunger. Not being around friends while we drive makes us want to text or call them while in the car. This can lead to drivers being distracted, causing more accidents. Phones should be required to have the feature that they can not turn on when a car is in motion but can be used when the car is completely stopped. This will help drivers to become less distracted as well as keep other drivers safe. Although there are more distractions, phones are one of the biggest ones.