In the Drivers Seat

Driver education for anyone who has not received formal driver training is both valuable and necessary if we are going to prevent injuries and deaths due to auto collisions. It is important to expose teens as young as possible to the practice of driving a vehicle or simulated driving to improve their chances of safer and more precise driving. Immaturity, lack of training skills, and a desire to speed are all factors in teen crash percentages. To reduce this it is imperative we give young drivers proper training and exposure to the effects of reckless driving. Exposure to the physical practice of driving and eye-hand coordination gives a young driver a broader perspective of how a vehicle handles and performs in many different types of weather and road conditions.

Proper education on not being a distracted driver including texting while driving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and speed related deaths. Young drivers need to take on the role of an ambassador for this proper education to influence other young drivers how important it is to take these steps to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. It is typically teens who begin the practice of driving in their early to mid-teen years to gain access to a driver’s license. In some cases, teens grow up in areas or in situations that do not allow for access to driver education or a vehicle. This is another obstacle in preventing accidents and keeping our roads safe. Although a permit and driving hours of practice are the suggestion, not all teens or adult’s record or count those hours leaving the one applying for a license at a deficit in experiencing driving in many types of road conditions. We can begin to take steps to reduce the number of deaths by creating more programs and training in our public schools. Many teens do not have access to consistent training and a vehicle. Private lessons are costly for some families so they opt for little to no training. By using a formal training program with requirements we could see the progress for the many teens who do not get training at home.

Public schools could offer this option to create safer roads. In addition we could further reduce the deaths by educating teens in better ways about the importance of seat belts, driving free of phones and distractions, and being sober when driving. Many accidents involve one or more of these obstacles. I have personally seen several accidents in many different conditions and experienced one small collision involving the front end of our vehicle. These accidents leave you feeling startled and fearful of future accidents. Our family has experienced a tragic teen death due to texting and its impact is life-changing for all family members left behind. I believe being a diligent and attentive driver can help me be a safer driver for myself as well as those on the route I travel.

Committing to practicing my required hours in all types of weather conditions is important to be prepared for any changes that might occur while driving. I believe if more potential drivers had access to proper training we could make safer roads for all. In addition, requiring those potential drivers to drive simulators for driving while intoxicated or under the influence and driving while texting might show drivers the dangers of these distractions.

Each year Ford motor company offers a program called Ford driving skills for life. It is a free event where you get hands-on driver training. Professional driving instructors teach newly licensed and teen drivers the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs. Ford Driving Skills for Life has invested more than $60 million to host these events to more than 1.25 million people around the world. They focus on hazard recognition, vehicle handling, speed management, space management, distracted and impaired driving. The exercises are designed to provide experience and improve driver decision making. This past year I attended one of the events and the lessons I learned and courses I participated in were very impactful. There were three courses including skid steer which taught recovery and control, anti-lock brake system which included perception evaluation simulator, and distracted driving which included texting while driving and driving under the influence. If there were more free events like these and they were required before you receive a license, then there would be more responsible, safer, and experienced drivers leading to more safety and less casualties. I feel this course should be mandatory for all new drivers. I have certainly taken my role as a new driver much more seriously since I participated.