Drivers ED and The Problem

Driving is an important part of many people’s lives. It is the most common way of transport for many across the world and they must be able to commute safely. The most basic step to help people drive better is having a driver’s education. Though this does gauge how well a person can drive, it does not account for all circumstances. Though driver education is very important, I believe that real-world experience is a better teacher. People can be told what to do in certain situations, but if they are facing that same situation head-on, they might not be able to remember or execute the right maneuver. Don’t get me wrong, Driver’s education is important and I believe it should be mandatory, but I feel like it is only the bare minimum.

One way to lower the number of driving deaths is through learning the basics of driving at a young age and a more rigorous driving test/exam. Studies have proven that when a person learns the basics of driving, usually through toys or golf karts, they turn out to be better and safer drivers. I advocate for middle schools to start a program where students can use golf karts to learn the basics, such as parking. I also believe that all high schools should have a mandatory driving class for all students. Though many parents are confident enough to teach their kids, some are afraid to get in a car with a novice and let other driving classes teach them. For example, my father. My experience with a driving school was tolerable. Though the instructor was nice and taught me how to drive, something my father was afraid to do, it felt like he was being too lenient. Many of the instructors were retired police officers, there to make a quick buck, it didn’t seem like they were there to teach the kids. Rather let them figure it out till they are good enough and give them a license. Not to mention that the class was really expensive and some could probably not afford it. So I think that high schools should run their class and grade it like they do any other subject. Especially with new technology like simulations, I think schools will be able to take advantage of this and bring better results. Kids also tend to take things more seriously in a school setting. This is a win-win because students will probably become better drivers and parents don’t need to worry about the cost of an extra class or driving with a newbie.

Fortunately, I have never been in an accident, nor have any of my family members. But, I have had friends who have crashed before. It was the first time I drove with this particular friend and as he was backing out of a parking spot, another car hit him. The crash was not his fault because he was backing out safely and it was the other car that ran into him without noticing that he was backing out. This is one of the major causes of most car accidents; haste. People want to be moving at their own pace and don’t care about their surroundings and it ends up costing them more than just being late. One step we can take to decrease accidents on the road is to not drive in a hurry. When people are trying to get places in a hurry, they will do some things they wouldn’t normally do and put others at risk. Know the route and be punctual, don’t put others at risk just because you are going to be late. But I don’t think this will change any time soon. Society today is run on the idea that individual people can do whatever they want. As long as this idea exists, there will be some that push it to the extreme and abuse it even if it puts others at risk. For example, on the highway, when was the last time you ever saw someone going the speed limit on the highway? They are always at least 10 or 15 above. They usually use the excuse of “keeping up with the flow of traffic.” If that is the case, why not lower the flow of traffic to a safe and legal speed? People see driving as a form of freedom, but this ends up causing accidents because they do not realize that everyone has that same idea. That is why I want to see a more rigorous driving class to make driving not a freedom, but an incentive. I think that only people who should be given a license are people who pass a more rigorous driving test and can understand that the road is not theirs. I think this will greatly decrease the number of accidents because fewer people will be driving and the ones driving know what they are doing.