The Importance of Learning how to Drive the Right Way

We all know that driving is important in today’s society. You can’t just get up from your couch to a friend’s house, or grab a bite to eat, and public transportation is laughable unless you live in a major city. Yet, people are afraid of the road, and for good reason: the road requires you to teach yourself how to drive. Most people learn from their relatives how to drive, as it is far cheaper than the $84.50 an hour¹ it costs in Saint Louis, MO. Considering that you need at least 40 hours of practice on the road to obtain a license, that bill becomes far more than many are willing to stomach when you can learn for free from your old man. Thus, we don’t have standardized education for the road. This leads to many consequences, including the tragic number of fatal car crashes.

Ever get the feeling that you are the only sane person on the road? Maybe you watch someone flirt with death, weaving between traffic without telling anyone where they’re trying to go just to get to their destination 30 seconds faster than usual. Or, maybe they move lanes into such a tight space that they are breathing down the neck of the car in front of them. Well, it’s because that is normal for them. They have been taught that they can do these borderline dangerous maneuvers, and the fact that they haven’t had consequences surely means that it won’t happen, ever. Also, consider getting a learner’s permit. In Missouri, you are required to take a multiple-choice test about road signs and rules before obtaining your permit (Parent). Rather than reading the driver’s handbook, many people looking to get their license insist that you take practice tests to obtain the information. This makes people have gaps in their knowledge that they carry into their license, and this mentality of ‘good enough’ is dangerous on the road. This is why driver’s education is important. When people need to learn on their own, they find the path of least resistance, and when you take the bare minimum action to stay safe, you get the bare minimum, which is not enough considering how dangerous driving can be. It is so easy for something to go wrong, and you can easily spend someone’s life on a mistake. If we have proper driver’s education, then we can ensure that people are safe on the road.

But what about the people who are already driving? Sure, helping future drivers make smart decisions is nice, but that could take upwards of 40+ years to have a permanent impact. Well, first we need to accept that there won’t be a perfect solution. Some people love the thrill, others have an emergency and cannot afford to spend any second they can lose, and some simply can’t consider what safe driving will do for those around them. We need to talk to those who are willing to reason and need to change. This brings me to the idea of restorative justice. Unsafe driving for some is just a transaction. I speed too much, get caught, and have to pay for it. But what if we did more than just a fine, and some points off your record? I propose that we have courses on safe driving for those who commit driving-related offenses (reckless driving, DUI, speeding, etc.). If we teach people about the dangers of the road, and why it’s important to be gracious on the road (communication, spacing, signaling, etc.), then people will be more likely to be safe. There are possible incentives to give, like reduced fines, but the natural bonus of people trying to be safe is lower car insurance rates, as they are less of a liability.

Finally, let’s reflect on what you can do now. The first thing I was taught in the world of driving is that you can control only what you can control. You can’t control what the person in front of you does on the road, but you can control what you do. How you can control your environment is communication. Need to move lanes? Put on your turn signal before you look to move over. Wait a little bit so people can react accordingly. Highway congested? Slow down a bit to make sure you have proper spacing between you and the person in front of you so that you have time to react and be safe. Finally, and most importantly: Give up your pride. Pride on the road will only get you hurt. So what if someone passes you on the highway? It’s not a race to beat them. If someone gets in front of you, make sure you have proper spacing for that new car. If someone needs over, slow down a little so they have the space to move. Being patient on the road will keep everyone safe, including yourself.

Driver’s Education is important. It is a standard to show that everyone knows how to drive safely and that they know what the right choices are for the road. As for the people who already have bad habits, if we teach them why their habits are bad, then they will change, all we need to do is incentivize them to learn. Driving is far too dangerous on its own for people to be reckless, so if we can prevent people from making bad decisions, then we could save so much time, money, and most importantly, grief. Maybe we can finally feel like we arent the only ones with a sound mind on the road.