2024 Drivers Education

2024 Drivers Education

In today’s world, phones and other electronic devices are a huge part of our life. Unlike our parents, who grew up without all the distractions we have today, as teenagers, it is something we have grown up with and have always known. My parents constantly complain about our “excessive” usage, but my sister and I remind them that this is how we live; it is not the same as when you were kids. While they do accept this, all be it reluctantly, one thing they are adamant about is no phone use when driving, even at a stop light. If we are in the car together they will always point out the people who are on their phones while driving, and it is true, you can tell. You can see them looking down, they do not realize a light has turned green (or even worse, red), they slow down for no reason, or they may swerve a bit in their lane. When you take the time to observe the behavior of drivers, it really is quite frightening, and you can see how easy something can happen in a split second. Even when I am out walking my dog, I am very aware. My Dad always tells me not to step into the crosswalk until you have double-checked that people are stopping; do not assume the driver knows he has a red light because they could be distracted. The same is true when driving, just because I have the green light, does not mean the other driver sees that they have the red light, and always be aware when crossing though any junctions, again, drivers are distracted. Even talking on the phone can be very unsafe as your focus becomes more on the conversation rather than the road. Ever since I got my driver’s license, my parents told me that I have to set my phone to driving. This way I do not get alerts, phone calls go immediately to voice mail, and texts get a response to say that I am driving. They have also mentioned that they understand that sometimes a conversation might be necessary, but it must always be hands free and under no circumstance should I ever be texting. If I do feel the need to respond, they have always told me that I must safely pull off the road and turn the engine off before I respond to a text. I have realized that this is by far the best option, there is always an opportunity to be able to pull off the road safely if something requires an immediate response, and it only takes a few minutes to do so. I have done this on occasion, and have ended my text by saying that I will now be driving and will not be responding further. My friends are fully aware that I set my phone to drive and I have encouraged them to do the same. They know that if I am driving, they will not get a response until I can safely do so. Not only is it a very dangerous habit, it can also be a costly one. My parents have made it quite clear that it will very likely be an expensive ticket, and could potentially increase my car insurance if I am on my phone while driving. While they do currently pay for my insurance, they have told me that any increase would be my responsibility, including the fine. This is something I definitely do not want and definitely cannot afford, so it is a great deterrent for me. I intend to spread these ideas by just telling my friends how unsafe it is, and remain hopeful that they will do the same. Fortunately, most of the people I drive with are already doing this and I have noticed that when I am in a car with a friend, they do not seem to use their phone. It is so easy to think that you need to respond immediately to a text, but it is a rare occasion that it is something so urgent. When your phone is set to driving, the person who is trying to reach you will know you are driving, and the hope is that they will understand why you have not responded. In addition, I think that leading by example is a great way to go, as my parents have. I used to drive my younger sister to and from school, and she was very aware that texting does not happen when I am driving. She now has her license, and I remember texting her one-day and the response was that she was driving. This made me so happy to see and that she did not respond to me until she got to her destination.

I feel that the majority of my drivers education came from my parents, which has served me well. However, as much as I try to set a good example, I think there should be mandatory classes for students to take in high school, including videos and/or pictures of accidents. Young people think they are invincible, but a good dose of reality can sometimes be all that is required to view things a little differently, hopefully!