The Power of Driver’s Education

The Power of Driver’s Education

By: Georgia Valles

When I think of my personal experience in drivers education, I think of all the safety tips I was taught in order to make the roads safe for both me and the people around me. Driver’s Education classes are being taught to teenages in high school as a way to teach them safety tips for driving. However, car accidents take up a large portion of the number of deaths for teenagers and this is a result of careless driving as well as not having been taught the right information. I can take my own experiences from driver’s education and say that it has made me a more aware driver. When on the road you have to think of yourself but you also have to think of everyone around you. If you know what is right and wrong on the road, you will help make the number of deaths go down.

There are a lot of factors that go into driving, however, I believe having the proper education and mindset can help reduce the number of deaths related to driving, especially in teenages. I believe our minds have a lot of power in our daily life and just like any class in school, driver’s education is one we should all really focus on. Those classes are being taught to us for our safety, drivers ed is meant to stick with us for years and in my experience, I use what I learned everyday. It helped me understand that the road is not just yours, it also belongs to thousands of other people. Those people might not have the same experience or education on driving you have so as a responsible driver, you have to think for yourself and others. During my time in Driver’s Education, I remember being taught that you should have a clear mind when driving. We are human beings driven by emotions and sometimes that takes over our logical thinking, which is a big factor when driving. Driving consists of, but not limited to, logical thinking and careful decision making in order to be the best driver. Our mind is also the place where we keep our information. Having a clear mindset is crucial when driving because it can help you and others have a safe journey while on the roads.

Accidents involving cars are one of the leading reasons for deaths in teenages. I have first hand experience with a car accident. During December of 2020, I was in a car accident. Fortunately, no one was extremely hurt but that does not make up for the accident. This was the first accident I had experienced first hand and it was the first one to happen in my family in a few years. My mom and I were hit by a reckless driver one Sunday morning that caused me to have a few injuries for the next few months. That day will forever be a part of me, it was a day that was both eye opening and fighting for someone young learning how to drive properly. Though I was not the driver, I still understood the problems that happened to cause the accident. The driver that hit us was not in the right state to be driving which caused them a bigger problem of putting someone else’s life on the line. They were not aware of others on the road and the car I was in, happened to be the unfortunate vehicle that got hit. Thinking back to it now, I know that every time I’m in the driver’s seat I will take caution and be aware of my surroundings in order to keep me and others on the road safe.

I believe we can all keep learning and be proactive each time we get into the car. We can learn the wrongs and rights by being in the car with other drivers while also being proactive and taking precautions before getting on the road as well as on the road. We will never stop learning the do’s and don’ts of driving.No matter if you are in the driver’s seat or are a passenger, there is always something to learn about driving. There is always something to learn, everyday is a learning opportunity and everyday is an opportunity to be better. Driver’s education is something that should never go away, it should always be taught because it can save many lives. If we all make the effort to learn and be aware we can make a difference on the roads wherever we might be.