Take It Seriously. It’s Not Common Sense: Driving Safely

When you’re not behind the wheel, driving around town and avoiding accidents may seem like a piece of cake—after all, you only need enough common sense to not run into other vehicles, drive off the road, or cross an intersection when the traffic lights are red. However, this thinking fails to account for the amount of things you need to look out for when driving. Basic duties like looking out for pedestrians and oncoming traffic, in addition to fuss within your vehicle can sometimes make you forget that you’re even driving. In such cases, common sense and intuition aren’t enough to avoid tragic accidents, and that’s where driver education comes in.

Driver education doesn’t only teach you basic maneuvers (or the dreaded parallel parking) but also guides you through plausible situations you might encounter while driving. For example, what if your car suddenly hydroplanes during a heavy rain? If you asked the younger me before taking Driver’s Ed, I would flat-out tell you my intuition—which is to hit the brakes. But now that I’ve taken that course, I would have hammered the younger me for replying with the number one thing not to do in that situation.

That being said, the first step towards reducing the number of driving-related deaths is to simply be educated—like I-really-paid-attention-in-class educated. I know it’s cliche to watch those “Don’t drink while driving” videos; however, it’s important to recognize that those situations are very real. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about thirty-seven people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes every day. That makes one death every 39 minutes or about one high school class period. So although those videos seem repetitive, getting that information engraved into your head will help steer you away from committing to bad decisions.

On a similar note, actively listening to your mentor’s advice, experiences, and other factual information (instead of pretending by looking at the tops of their head) is also crucial. They were just like you—young adults figuring out how to drive. They’ve made mistakes before, so they share them as a cautionary yet educating tale. These types of stories provide insight into real driving environments that otherwise cannot be replicated by practical texts or simple observations. Learning from competent and experienced drivers will not only provide you with the necessary information to drive responsibly but also with less stress and thus, more safely. After all, stress can mess with a core driving skill: decision-making.

Personally, I hate yellow lights; they stress me out way too much. I remember cruising along the roads after a doctor’s appointment when a light I was reaching turned yellow. I almost stepped on the brake pedal; however, I kept going because my mentor (a.k.a my father) told me I was too close to the light to stop safely. If it weren’t for my father’s affirmation, I would have made ourselves vulnerable to a car crash by awkwardly slowing down across the buzzing intersection.

Of course, mentors aren’t always demonstrating what they preach (like my father fumbling with the car’s volume while going fifty on a rural road), but I think it’s up to us to decide not to indulge in those impulses. We should also encourage others not to act on them as well by telling them directly and by helping them with whatever they need (i.e. helping my father turn down the volume). Before driving, I’ve made it a habit to put my phone away from a comfortable arm’s reach. That way, I wouldn’t be tempted to check texts or random Instagram reels whenever I’m stuck in traffic or at a traffic light. Some habits are hard to adopt, but over time, you’ll adapt to them.

On that note, the second step is obvious but so easily glazed over—practice! Unlike movies, where the person is magically gifted at something, experience is needed to be a great driver. Whether that be driving in circles at a local parking lot, repeatedly backing in and out of your driveway, or driving to nearby areas, experience is fundamental because it allows you to encounter all kinds of situations, remember the things you did wrong or could have done better, and improve on them. It also improves muscle memory, like knowing how much to steer the wheel on a right turn or how much pressure your foot needs on the gas pedal. Simply practicing will reduce the risk of tragic accidents on busier roads.

The third step puts more of a mental emphasis: the effects of car crashes aren’t one-sided—everyone loses something, be it small or not. These consequences vary a great deal in severity: from small scrapes to fractures to permanent paralysis to even death. I’m grateful that I haven’t been a victim of a car crash, but I know that others may not have been as fortunate. While driving alongside other vehicles, I am constantly reminded that everyone contributes to road safety. Thus, to keep myself and others out of harm’s way, I’ve made it a priority to practice defensive driving, to reduce any distractions in the car, and to be honest about my driving skills. For instance, if I were given the task of driving for 10 hours straight on a friends-only road trip, I would refuse because I know I’m not able to do that yet. I wouldn’t want a single rash decision to become a permanent mark on someone else.

If you were to take anything away from my essay, driver education isn’t just a recommendation or a requirement before getting a driver’s license. It’s an invaluable piece of information that can save lives on the road, including your own. So take driver education seriously, it will help you in the long drive.