Driving Education is the Way of Life

A significant mark of a person’s sense of responsibility lies in how capable they are in driving safely and wisely. I took an in-person driving class when I first turned 15, which gave me plenty of time to practice driving with instructors and parents before I could even contemplate getting a real license. Whether you choose to opt for an in-person driver’s education class or the online route, it is quintessential to learn proper driving etiquette in order to avoid fatal situations and aggressive driving. A proper education means that you will understand fundamental concepts such as the right of way, road safety laws, avoiding blind spots, and what it means to drive offensively. I can say with full confidence that because of my formal driving education, I have been able to avoid potentially fatal situations entirely and anticipate when another car might make a mistake numerous times. A study done in 2015 showed that young drivers who had not completed their driver’s education are 75 percent more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident, and 16 percent more likely to have an accident. (UNL, 2015)

There are many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of motor vehicle fatalities. A proposition is to increase regulation for adult drivers in Texas. Here, if you are older than 25, you do not need to take a 6-hour course that 18-25 year olds are required to take to receive a license. Although you do need to take a knowledge test, there is no physical driving exam you have to take. That is quite absurd; it’s like training a dog to sit, but never teaching them any other tricks and registering them into a dog show. I personally do not feel comfortable knowing that adults can get a license by doing the bare minimum. Although the amount of first time drivers above the age of 25 is small, you should still learn the key concepts that a 16 year old would be required to learn. If the age requirement was extended, it would increase the number of educated drivers on our roads.

Aggressive driving is a deleterious plague that has struck drivers all across the nation. According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, aggressive driving is a factor in 54% of all fatal motor accidents. We all experience impatience and hostile feelings while driving at one point or another; that is human. However, it is much easier to moderate these feelings when you understand what actions you can take to de-escalate the situation you’re in. When someone is motivated by aggressive feelings, they are going to behave in brash, arrogant ways like brake checking, swerving, tailing, and not giving full attention to their surroundings. This creates a dangerous situation for both the driver and other innocent drivers/pedestrians in the vicinity. Implementing a curriculum on how to disengage or abate situations like this in driver’s education can greatly prevent accidents caused by road rage.

I am fortunate enough to have never been involved in a car accident as a driver nor as a passenger. My parents are safe drivers and I am jubilated that they had the patience and courage to mentor me when I drove. We all do our part to point out the occasional impetuous behavior that my family members or I might do; looking at cell phones, driving with such impatience that we swerve our way around the road, or pointing out each other’s speed if we feel that we are velocitized. While backseat driving is not socially acceptable, it is important to kindly remind your drivers to gear their focus on the road and maintain healthy driving habits. Unfortunately, it is difficult to end such nasty habits such as texting while driving on the behalf of others. However, you should value your well-being and strongly discourage such behavior when you are their passenger.

When driving, there are always ways to improve your daily commute safety and avoid accidents. I’ve found that when you drive a certain route to work frequently, it can be easy to zone out and go through the motions of driving. This is especially dangerous because construction can cause lanes to close, people might make mistakes by running a red light, or you fail to notice a new stop sign. One thing I mentally do to ground myself when driving is to observe what is going around me. This could include checking my rear view mirrors even if it is a relatively empty road, or observing the distance that I am from the cars in front of me. This might sound obvious, but when you take a frequent route, you tend to memorize moments to pay attention to and when you can zone out a little. Speaking from personal experience, I have zoned out before and ran a new stop sign that was implemented a couple of weeks ago. Had it not been an empty intersection, I could have seriously gotten into a bad accident.

We can’t get rid of the things that distract us when we drive. Car manufacturers make large touch screens serving as radios and car chargers that are conveniently placed so that our phones can be lap dogs. That is why it is taught in driving school that you should never drive while distracted. It is vital to our life and safety to understand why we can’t let distractions get the best of us when driving. Additionally, we should all keep ourselves educated on road safety so that we can all drive cautiously, calmly, and safely. There are important things that one learns in driving school that can be the factor to avoiding an accident or losing your life. It’s always too late to learn from your mistake when you’re on the road.