The Importance of Drivers Education

The Importance of Drivers Education

According to an article done by the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, young drivers who have taken drivers education were less likely to be involved in car crashes within their first two years of driving. Young drivers who have not done driver education were 75 percent more likely to get a traffic violation and 24 percent more likely to have a fatal accident or injury. In the article, they reported a study that compared the driving safety of young drivers who logged hours with a parent or under supervision versus those who took drivers education. 53 percent of the young drivers took a state-approved drivers education course to receive their permit, while the other percentage logged 50 hours of practice under supervision. During their first year of driving, the drivers who took the state-mandated driver’s ed had significantly fewer accidents and traffic tickets than the group who just logged driver’s hours.

Drivers’ education seems to be a significant factor in the safety of drivers, especially younger drivers with less experience on the road who may be more at risk. Drivers ed programs not only teach essential components of a car, but also how to navigate driving in different road conditions, drivers’ judgment, defensive driving, and much more. Formal driving education may be a significant predictor of driving safety later. Young drivers may not get all of the necessary safety information that trained drivers education instructors provide when learning under supervision or from a trusted guardian. Having a clear and thorough outline in a driver’s education course can give a simulation of numerous scenarios, allowing a student to consider and learn an effective way to respond in a potentially intense, life-threatening road situation without putting their life or someone else’s at risk.

With that being said, drivers’ education courses seem to have a significant impact on the prevalence of accidents, and traffic violations, which may make mandating state-approved drivers’ education courses an effective protocol before receiving a driver’s license and/or permit. This could be the start of reducing the number of accidents and in turn deaths related to driving. In addition to gaining information before getting on the road, it is also important for the driver to implement what is learned in drivers’ education courses when operating a vehicle, to reduce this same risk. This includes things such as: turning off your cellphone when driving, wearing a seatbelt, not driving intoxicated, driving the speed limit, never overestimating your limits or assuming, etc. Practicing these things can ultimately increase safety on the road. Holding everyone accountable and making sure to implement basic safety principles is extremely important if we are wanting to safer roads. Potentially even mandating a refresher driver’s education course when getting in a non-life-threatening accident or receiving multiple traffic violations, which is partially implemented, may be beneficial as well.

From personal experience, I know that drivers’ education significantly helped me operate a vehicle and understand how to apply principles learned to the physical road. I was able to have a lot more confidence on the road and identify the situations I learned in drivers’ education. Once I was more comfortable with operating a vehicle, I was able to continue to learn through experience with the foundation of information I gained from drivers training. This has prevented me from causing any minor or severe car accidents as well as receiving many traffic violations. Outside of my personal experience, in contrast, I have seen or heard about other friends being in car accidents, and most times it has stemmed from driving irresponsibly. Noticeably, most incidents I have heard about have been from speeding, or racing leading to losing control of their cars. It may seem like fun to race cars or drive at full speed when on the road, but one careless mistake can put your life in danger or someone else’s. If it is not putting your life in danger, it’s putting a hole in your pocket.

Based on my experiences and learning from other mistakes, I know that I can continue to practice safe driving techniques in my control to prevent harming others when I am on the road. This includes some of the previous examples given above as well as focusing on driving when operating a vehicle, going the speed limit, keeping my distance from other drivers, wearing my seatbelt, and so much more. Preventative measures are very important to ensure that I am being as safe as possible. You never know when a simple course or implementing safe driving techniques could save a life.