The Importance of Drivers Education

Objective

For this essay contestants were asked to give insight on the importance of driving education. Driver education plays a key role in reducing the deaths related to automobile accidents,steps that can be taken to prevent accidents, reducing the numbers of vehicular accidents, as well as making the roads safer for everyone.

Driver education importance & steps

Driver education plays a key role in reducing the number of deaths due to vehicular accidents for reasons such as defensive driving strategies along with how to safely operate a vehicle. In drivers education courses we are taught various strategies to keep ourselves and others on the road safe. Defensive driving strategies reduce the likelihood of accidents occuring.

A North Carolina state statistic for the year of 2024 entails that there were approximately one thousand, four hundred and twelve fatal crashes along with one thousand, five hundred and thirty eight deaths due to crashes in the state alone.

A few defensive driving strategies that can keep you and your peers safe are, keeping a minimum following distance of three seconds while behind other vehicles, checking your rear view and side mirrors often, abiding by the speed limit, as well as not relying on other drivers to keep your safety in mind. Not relying on other drivers on the roadway means be cautious while driving, maintain your focus on the road as well as the other drivers.

Knowing and utilizing these strategies of defensive driving along with others will help keep yourself and others safe while on the road.

Personal experiences

About a year ago me and my family all went out to dinner for my grandmother’s birthday. While leaving the restaurant my mother exited the parking lot and hit another car. This accident happened due to my mother not having a good sight of the road when she came out of the parking lot due to another car pulling in ultimately resulting in us hitting the other car.

This accident could have been avoided if my mother had waited for the car to finish pulling in before she pulled out.

A near death experience I have had while behind the wheel was caused by another driver driving the wrong way on the highway at night time. This driver was operating their vehicle at an extremely high rate of speed while driving the wrong way. Thankfully I have been taught defensive driving skills such as being cautious at night and not relying on other drivers. This strategy saved my life, if I had not been taught them along with my flight or fight reflexes the other driver would have caused a head on collision.

Peer experience

A few of my friends were leaving school when another car hit them while turning at a traffic light. This accident happened due to the other person being impaired while driving causing her to run a red light while my friends had the right of way to turn.

This accident could have been avoided if my peers had used defensive driving strategies such as waiting to turn, making sure that the cars on the other side of the road are at a complete stop before proceeding. Another way this accident could have been avoided is if the other party had made the choice to not drive while impaired.

Additional steps

A few additional steps that can be taken to make myself along with others safer while on the road are limiting and cutting out distractions such as phone usage. Phone usage while on the road causes approximately 1.6 million crashes annually according to the 2023 Texting and Distracted Driving Accident Statistics.

Always wearing a seat belt while in a vehicle whether you are a driver or passenger could save yours or someone else’s life. Not only is the usage of seat belts required by law, it is also one of the best ways to keep everyone safe.

Avoiding drugs and alcohol is another valuable way to keep everyone on the road safe. Drinking and driving is very dangerous and is a big factor in vehicular fatalities in the United states. In 2022 approximately thirteen thousand, five hundred and thirty facilities were the result of alcohol impaired driving. Along with this approximately one million Americans are arrested each year for driving while impaired by alcohol.

The last step I have to ensure safe driving for yourself along with others is pulling over if weather conditions do not permit safe driving. If you can not see the roadway for any reason you should pull over.

Following these steps along with a few of the defensive driving strategies will ensure safety on the road for you and others.