In the Driver seat

As we come closer to the age of 18, the eagerness and desire to finally be free, get up and go wherever we want, without any restrictions, becomes overwhelming especially with the prospect of having a car. During the Covid-19, many students who turned 18 was very excited to obtain their Driver’s license. Due to the pandemic, they were unable to physically be in-person for the driving part of the exam. As a result, they did not have the opportunity to gain practical on the road driving experience and my younger sister is one of them. While observing her driving, I noticed she often seem situationally unaware of her surroundings, especially regarding traffic conditions and movement of other cars. She tends to exceed the speed limit to an unsafe degree, and during heavy traffic, she makes reckless maneuvers, such as swerving without consideration of other drivers. It worries me that she appears oblivious to the potential consequences of her actions and rules of the roads. There have been countless instances where I had to remind her about her reckless behavior, which not only put her at risk but also makes me feel unsafe as a passenger.

But there was a moment that truly made my sister realize the seriousness of her driving habits. We were driving home from a beach trip, and everything changed in an instance. My sister didn’t use her turning signal and suddenly swerved harshly into the right lane without checking her blind spot. In the split second, she almost hit the front driver’s side of another car with the back right side of our car. The blaring sound of horn from the vehicle behind us echoed and we came terrifyingly close to causing an accident that could have cost us our lives. Having solid understanding of the rules, law and regulations isn’t just about passing a test; its about ensuring the safety of yourself and everyone else around you. Learning proper driving techniques and being aware can literally be the difference between life and death. Following that accident, my sister had to complete a state-approved driver improvement course, which finally taught her the essential skills like how to anticipate and respond to hazards on the road. Driver education not only teaches students the fundamental knowledge of traffic law, but emphasizes on the danger of distractions and speeding, and even give students practical on-the-road training experience to help them feel confident behind the wheel. Because my sister did not have adequate behind the wheel experience from her initial driver education class during covid, she developed bad driving habits. After completing a more comprehensive driver improvement course, she now drives cautiously and follows the rules of the road, staying aware of her surroundings and making safer choices.

The number of deaths related to driving could be reduces by the number of hours spent behind the wheel in real traffic. An increase in the required numbers of supervised driving hours both highway and city driving is a must. The practical experience they have is essential to engrain safe driving habits and decisions making. It is also important to emphasize the need to focus on driving and paying attention to your surroundings and other drivers. This awareness allows you to anticipate potential hazards and be prepared to react accordingly. Having experience being a passenger with an unsafe driver-my sister- has reinforced the importance of being a safe and responsible driver. Witnessing firsthand how the lack of real traffic experience can result to poor decision-making and leading dangerous situations has made more committed to driving cautiously and thoughtfully. These experiences have strengthened my belief that the time behind the wheels is invaluable for developing the kind of awareness and decision-making that can literally save lives.

Another example is my immigrant parent who learned to navigate the roads by reading signs and practicing on their own. Without a formal driver education, they manage to pass the behind-the-wheel test. Their lack of training significantly impacts their driving skills leading to series of accident over the years. Language barrier plays a huge rule in being able to comprehend the meaning of traffic signs. While they may be able to read basic traffic sign, comprehension goes beyond literal translation. They faced challenges in understanding traffic law and safety regulations. I vividly recall instances where they would ask me to clarify what a sign meant at young age and could see the frustration in their eyes when they couldn’t grasp the full context. This highlight just how essential proper training and education can be. It would be beneficial to offer adult driver education training and interpretation classes for immigrants with a language barrier. Over the course of time as I got older and had obtain my driver license, I took on the responsibility to advise, translate and help my parents understand the rules, law and regulations. This is why driver education classes are so critical for everyone.

In conclusion, having driver education class is crucial for saving lives and reducing the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents. Drivers who receive thorough education and has completed numbers of hours behind the wheel are more equipped to make informed and responsible decisions on the road contributing to a safer driving environment for everyone. Some steps I can take to become a safer driver and help others is to continue to advice on safe driving practices. I am committed to continuous learning, keeping up date on law traffic and self-improvement. I have become an extra pair of eyes and ears for my both my sister, parent and others to promote road safety. It is important for me to encourage and others while driving about safety driving habits, so it creates a safety-first mindset. As the newer younger generations of driver comes along, driver education class will provide the essential training, and hands-on experiences needed and save lives.