The Importance of Driver Education

The Importance of Driver Education

Opening my eyes, I take in my surroundings. Seconds earlier, I had been stopped at a familiar intersection with my turn signal on, getting ready to make a left-hand turn. One distracted dump truck later, I have been transported into an alternate reality—one where my car has been smashed through the intersection. Shards of glass sprinkle every inch of my car’s interior. Shakily stepping out with my mom, I see that the entire back half of my car has been smashed inward. The bumper drags along the ground. I am thankful to be alive.

Unsafe driving continues to be a major issue in the United States, claiming tens of thousands of lives each year. Although not all of them will find themselves involved in a fatal crash, a staggering percentage of drivers in the United States drive distracted. Not necessarily under the influence, their gaze is lured away from the road by smartphones, music choices, and even other passengers.

The most important part of establishing safe driving habits, particularly in teens, is driver education. Driver education allows new drivers to learn the proper rules of the road, develop basic vehicle control, and practice all necessary skills in a controlled environment, but the most important part of driver education is helping drivers understand the consequences and dangers of unsafe driving before they are on their own behind the wheel.

Driver education plays a major role in developing safe driving habits and is instrumental in preventing unsafe or distracted driving down the road. However, not all states require both a driver education course and out of class driving hours. This combination is extremely important for safety on the road. In order to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, driver education must be standard in all states. Requiring driver education in all states would produce generations of safer and more educated drivers, leading to fewer accidents and therefore fewer deaths on the road.

Many may say that parents can do just as good of a job as professionals in educating their children how to drive, but the reality is that professional driver education allows for comprehensive and updated instruction, something that parents cannot provide. A parent may forget the nuances of vehicle safety, or just teach their child what they deem to be practical for everyday driving. Further, a parent might fail to explain the safety reasons behind regulations and what could happen out on the road. Every parent wants the best for their child, and requiring comprehensive professional driver education is the most important step to making sure that their child doesn’t become a statistic.

The reality of this situation is that in order to prevent deaths on the road due to unsafe driving, driver education must be standardized across the United States. Through driver education, not only do new drivers learn the basics of driving but they learn the importance of safe driving by minimizing distractions, paying close attention to surroundings, and making safe decisions quickly.