Drivers ed, Safer Roads

Drivers ed, Safer Roads

by Tara Gildersleeve

The best way to drive safely is to prioritize the road. Training, such as drivers ed helps new drivers develop smart habits that prevent accidents and fatalities. Specifically, drivers ed brings awareness to the serious responsibility of driving and what it means to be a safe driver. Especially for teens who regularly do not take to heart their parents suggestions, drivers ed is important to imprint good habits. One habit never to develop is texting and driving. Dangerous habits like texting cannot be prevented without drivers being properly educated as to the seriousness of this risk. To further decrease the occurrence of texting while driving, nation-wide, the nine States that still have not made all texting and driving illegal need to do so. The laws must be implemented and strictly enforced to reduce the number of accidents resulting from texting. Of course this is not the only form of distracted driving that people must be educated about. Issues like driving under the influence, being distracted by passengers, and not following the basic rules of the road, are fundamental to drivers ed. As a resident of Florida, I frequently face drivers not following one basic rule of the road, using their turn signals. Drivers may feel that turn signals do not help them navigate the road but signaling is necessary for communicating to others on the road and hence decrease the risk of accidents and fatalities. I believe that the Florida Driving Test, as with other States, could be more effective if the test lasted for more than five to ten minutes. With a longer test the examiner will be able to test for more skills and possibly better determine habits. I have been in vehicles with fully licensed drivers who have exhibited forms of distractions including, texting and driving, nodding off at the wheel, and being preoccupied in conversations. To mitigate the risky habit of texting while driving, I immediately tell the driver to stop and offer to reply the text for them. When my parents are sleep deprived on long road trips I insist they pull over and sleep before they nod off at the wheel. When friends need to focus on driving I tell them we can talk later. Because of the consistency of my requests to avoid these risky behaviors I have seen a large decrease in the number of occurrences in my presence. I believe that consistency in expectations and laws is the best way to stop dangerous habits such as texting while driving. My habit is to ask a passenger to check my phone or just never check at all. I also instinctively use my turn signals. These personal choices along with what drivers ed teaches are essential components in reducing risky behavior and related fatalities.