The Life-Saving Impact of Driver Education

Driving in my opinion, is something that almost everyone uses as a way to transport themselves from anywhere they want, and when they want. However, despite it being a good way to get you to your destination, there are also potential risks and dangers when it comes to driving recklessly and not following regulations. When driving results in an accident, it can lead to severe trauma, permanent physical damage, and even death. Because of these potential risks, we must have driver education so that we not only keep ourselves safe but also keep everyone on the road safe.

Driving education teaches us the essentials of what to do while on the road. This includes paying attention to the signs, traffic lights, the lanes on your sides to see who is driving on the side of you, your car mirrors, and the speed limits, especially for school zones and neighborhoods. You must also be familiar with the inside of the car such as how to use your brake and gas pedal, the turn signals, and the gear stick for when you need to drive forward or in reverse. These regulations are important to keep us and others safe and potentially reduce the number of deaths that occur throughout the years.

Driving deaths can occur in many different ways, and these can include drunk driving, reckless driving, and distractions such as people looking through their phones when behind the wheel. Ways that we can prevent these from happening are to teach people the major consequences of doing these negative actions on the road. When they can see the reality of their recklessness, it will give them more awareness of their actions and motivate them to drive more safely. However, when it comes to preventing people from using their devices while behind the wheel, giving them access to apps or setting options that prevent them from using the phone while driving is a good way to prevent them from focusing on their devices. This way, we can prevent people from receiving or making calls, notifications, or texting, thus decreasing phone usage and fatal accidents on the road.

Although driving deaths can occur from reckless driving and distractions, natural causes such as high rain and strong winters can also lead even responsible drivers to cause an accident. It is important to teach people to drive more slowly and cautiously to prevent the car from losing control on slippery roads. Teaching people about different road conditions, and how to get through them safely, can help them be more responsible and decrease their chance of creating an accident. Another final way we can help decrease driving deaths is through discipline. Consequences such as fines, arrests, and revoking their license are ways to get people to stop breaking the law. People need to understand that there will be punishment for their actions, and that will eventually teach them to be more responsible and safer on the road.

Although no one would ever want to be in a horrible accident, I unfortunately experienced one myself. During Christmas Eve of 2014, my mother was driving on the freeway when all of a sudden the car in front of us immediately stopped which caused my mom to crash as she didn’t have enough time to react. The car behind us also crashed into us which not only resulted in our car becoming a total loss, but I also banged my head hard against the window, which left me to eventually receive surgery to remove a bump that was growing on my head. Because of this incident, I have begun to realize the importance of understanding the road and driving safely to not only protect myself but also protect other people on the road. As much as I would want to never remember that accident from happening, I would rather remember to make me understand what went wrong and teach myself, who is currently learning how to drive, what I could do to prevent an event like this from happening again.

In order to make myself a better driver, a good start would be to practice being safe on the road without any distractions. As someone who is currently practicing to get my driver’s license soon, I have been learning how to respect the road, read and understand the signs, and follow the speed limits. I am not afraid to admit that I have made mistakes, but these are mistakes that I must fix to become a better and safer driver, therefore I must practice as much as I can until I get everything right and prove to myself, my friends, and family that I can be trusted while on the road.

A way that I can help make people become better drivers is by making sure I can help point out their mistakes and tell them what they should be doing to become better drivers. Everyone makes mistakes, but when you are on the road it is important not to let your small mistakes make negative impacts on yourself or other people. Therefore, letting someone know that they are doing something wrong and telling them what they should do to become a more responsible and safe driver can make a big difference.

In conclusion, driving education is an extremely important resource as it teaches people to be safer on the road and decreases the chances of people getting into fatal accidents. Practice, discipline, and bringing awareness to people’s consequences can encourage others to become better drivers and examples to those who are planning to drive on the road in the future. My experiences in the car accident made me realize the importance of driving safely and I want to make sure that my experience can help encourage someone to become a responsible and trusted driver. If we move forward to fulfilling these goals, I believe we can prevent more casualties and create more safety on the road.