The Importance of Driving Knowledge

Leonardo García

10 October 2020

The Importance of Driving Knowledge

I nearly choked on my McMuffin sandwich as I realized that I had roughly fifteen minutes to arrive at school on time. I was at a McDonald’s location in my friend’s neighborhood, which was unknown to me. When we got in my car, I took off like a roller coaster and after five minutes I noticed flashing blue and red lights on my rearview mirror. I felt great embarrassment, not only from demonstrating reckless driving in front of my friend, but most importantly by not noticing that I was speeding 10mph over the speed limit in a school zone. When I look back and reflect on my mistake, I realize that the ticket was well-deserved. Countless people die every year from easily avoidable mistakes such as this one. Making sure that people have the proper knowledge of road safety can ultimately reduce car-related fatalities and accidents.

Getting a more in-depth driver’s education can help teenagers and adults alike in making better driving decisions, which would lead to less deaths from driving incidents. The driver’s education program is important because it covers all aspects of things to look out for when handling a vehicle. For example, it is imperative to make sure that you and your vehicle are both in the right conditions to hit the road. If the driver is sleepy, it is important to make the right decision and to pull over or to just decide not to drive. Making sure that the vehicle’s condition is safe is also very important, so if a warning light turns on it is safest to check the issue. In addition to those simple tips, being aware of upcoming weather conditions, such as rain or snow, later in the day can boost your awareness when driving, and change your decision making behind the wheel. At the end of the day, driving is like signing a contract, but this signature is with millions of drivers who are sharing the same road as you. The driver must be aware of their driving abilities, know the condition of their vehicle to their fullest extent, and that they can handle the weather conditions while behind the wheel.

My career ambition of being a high school counselor would tremendously support the idea of integrating a strong driver’s education such as the DmvEdu program within the current education system. As stated by CDC.gov, in 2017, “2,364” teens between the ages of “16-19 were killed” and “300,000” were treated due to motor vehicle accidents. These are roughly the ages of high school students, which is why making students aware of safe driving is necessary. Having the opportunity to gather high school students to have group conversations would send a stronger message about safe driving because the aim would be for them to drive the conversation. When students hear valuable information coming from people their age, they tend to grasp the tone of the subject with more responsibility. With the proper knowledge of driver safety, teenagers will realize how to prioritize the importance of practicing safe driving to avoid accidents, deaths, or a mistake such as mine.