Red, Yellow, Green: A Little Game on Drivers Ed

Driver education is important –and believe it or not– but it can also be understood easily. Don’t believe me? Let’s play a little game, testing your knowledge of traffic lights.

Red light: You know what this means! Stop! When it comes to accidents concerning driving, it is better to take a preventative rather than a restoration approach. In a study conducted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2.1% of the driver’s education group came in contact with an accident that resulted in injuries or death, compared to a 0.5% increase as 2.6% of those who did not take driver’s education were involved in accidents involving injuries or deaths. These stark statistics indicate the significant role that driver education has on personal and collective safety. One of many studies corroborating this idea, drivers’ education is essential in preparing new drivers on the proper conduction on the road, preventing crashes and fatality rates. Many drivers may have feelings of anxiety on the road, but driver education enables them to become more confident and familiar which soothes sporadic behaviors and prevents risky incidents.

Yellow light: Before you even come across a dangerous situation, it is better to prepare yourself with prevention than resolution. As taught in driver education lessons, there are a myriad of ways to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. To start with, understanding the mechanisms behind how cars function can alert you to take caution before more serious consequences arise: for example, this includes knowing where the radiator is located, the function of an oil pan, and how to change a flat tire. These preventative measures will reduce the chances of collisions from happening and in turn reduce the number of deaths related to driving. We’ve all heard of devastating stories of the consequences of drunk driving or driving under the influence, and it is with no doubt that operating a motor vehicle without these substances will significantly increase awareness while driving and decrease fatality rates.

No matter how cautious you are on the road, you also need to ensure that you are not putting yourself in dangerous situations based on other drivers’ behaviors. On this note, learning how to spot aggressive drivers and navigating driving during certain weather conditions can promote safety on the road and lessen chances of driving-related death occurrences.

Learning to be safe on the road early on, I’ve refused to put myself in dangerous positions whether that means I’m the driver or the passenger. Especially after hearing about an incident that left my friend hospitalized for days, I’ve taken steps to apply what I have learned from driver education classes to my journeys on the roads. Driving on the highway after swim practice one day, my friend was reading messages from his swim team groupchat as they were making plans to celebrate their last meet. Little did she know that one glance at her phone and typing a few letters would result in a catastrophic accident. Seeing the devastating state my friend was left in, I pledged to take action to prevent this from happening to myself and others. As a teenager, car accidents are brushed off as just another story, another number. But these numbers accumulate. Driving irresponsibly should never be an answer; nor should safety come before a momentary satisfaction or convenience.

As someone who drives around 30 hours per week at my part-time job, I am constantly learning how to be a better and safer driver while helping others learn to navigate this process as well. Planning my trips ahead of time can help me avoid heavy traffic, high-speed areas, and even poor weather conditions. Doing deliveries requires me to rely on my GPS, so I have found the “Do Not Disturb” feature on my phone to be particularly helpful, as it prevents me from getting distracted from notifications sent to my phone. Being the first to be able to drive among many of my friends and peers, I have helped them become safer on the road and am providing pieces of advice to others by referring them to the local governments’ website which posts helpful tips and of course, encouraging them to take notes during driver education classes! To continue my journey in becoming a safe driver and promoting driver education, I will continue to conduct research on proper driving etiquette and read updated manuals of safety. Furthermore, I will eliminate obstacles such as distracting music and start wearing sunglasses on sunny days.

Green light: Now that you and I have understood the importance of driver education and how to be a safer driver, remember to be safe on the road at all times! This little game makes driver education easy to comprehend, but when it comes to your safety on the road, you should never be playing games.