Benefits of the Drivers’ Education Course

During my sophomore year of high school, I decided it would be helpful and efficient to take the weekly Saturday driver’s ed course that my school offered. I would get a great amount of driving practice, as well as tips from an instructor to help assure that every move I was making was correct and safe.

After driving for the past 2 years in the state of Florida, there has been a lot that I have learned about the rules of the road, especially as a student driver. The most important aspect of being behind the wheel is being attentive and holding yourself accountable. Not only are you keeping yourself safe, but you are also protecting the people around you. The signs that are posted up around town against drinking and driving or even texting while driving per say are some of the most important messages of peoples’ lives.

As I have grown and gotten to know how to operate a vehicle and vehicle safety, I have gotten to hear the stories my family members have shared about personal experiences in car accidents. My Mom was 16 when she got in the car with a few of her friends, one of whom recently got her license and was the driver at the time, was speeding in the misty rain while roads were slick. The driver lost control of the vehicle, hitting a guardrail while the car teetered over it, almost falling into the creek below. Luckily, my mom, though she was scared, was able to exit the car as she was bleeding, after hitting her face during the wreck, to go find help. She continues to tell her kids to this day how scary it was that her life flashed before her at 16 and she was afraid to get in any vehicle for a while afterwards. Making mistakes on the road can affect the other people who were in that car’s lives forever. Similarly, when I started to drive with my Dad in the car, he always put an emphasis on looking twice before making any sort of move. Whether it is turning or switching lanes, checking your blind spots or to the side of your car can change someone’s life forever. My Dad was also young when he got into an accident on his motorcycle, where he ended up injured and still has a scar on his leg to this day. He loved to ride but has not since then due to a car hitting him on his side. When I think about these instances, I think about what I can personally do as a driver to avoid the damage of others’ lives.

During my time in my drivers’ ed course, I got to learn the ways to stay safe even if there was somebody recklessly driving on the road. For example, while I was driving one day during my course, there was a man in a truck driving completely over the median line on the road. Since we were both driving bulky vehicles, I had to unfortunately also moveover to the right a little bit, causing me to be on top of the line of the road. Although it was not ideal, I knew it was best for me and any vehicles around me that could have gotten into an accident if my van and his truck had collided. Another instance that stuck out to me was when I had a bad habit of waiting to brake at red lights. Typically, it would take me a while to slow down and react to cars slowing down and stopping. This was very dangerous as it could have affected me and the other cars at the light as well. Obviously, this could have been a hazard if it weren’t for my instructor breaking the habit, and now I have never been close to rear ending or hitting anyone around me. The drivers’ education course at my school really benefited me a lot with breaking bad habits and reacting quickly in any potentially dangerous situation on the road.

The benefits of the drivers’ education course have played a role in my driving, especially as I experience more and more time on the road everyday. By simply looking twice or adjusting the vehicle, anyone can be a safe driver by being attentive and making smart choices. Understanding the vehicle you are operating by taking a look at any mechanisms such as adjusting the mirrors and seat to drive comfortably can really improve one’s driving by a lot. I got a lot of practice just by taking a little bit of time out of my Saturdays or which can be done during school can improve response time and create good habits while driving, ensuring not only your personal safety, but the safety of the passengers in your car, the vehicles that surround you, or potentially even pedestrians.