The Weight of Driving

Getting your license has become a symbolic rite of passage into adulthood. To earn the right to operate such a powerful machine is something that should be celebrated! However, many young drivers see cars as a means to an end, and do not take into account how they go on the journey to their destination. This leads to reckless driving, accidents, and in extreme cases, death. What needs to change in order to prevent this is to view the road separate from your destinations, and to learn to respect the road and your fellow motorists.

Driver’s education tries to stop this issue before it’s even begun. It is required for you to take a course before you can even obtain your permit. It teaches you the laws of the road and best practices while operating a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, drivers ed is portrayed as the epitome of boredom. Most who take a drivers ed class have been riding in cars almost their entire life, and therefore think they already know the laws of the road. Drivers ed serves as only a barrier between them and their license. A means to an end. This mentality does not only apply to those trying to get a permit. It is not that the education is insufficient, it is that the student believes themself to know more.

This is where the first change lies. The driver. No matter how much information, infographics, and classes are handed to somebody, it will mean nothing if they do not care for it. To change this, I believe the driver must be reminded of the responsibility and gravity that comes with operating a motor vehicle. Due to our constant interactions with cars, we often forget how powerful the machines are. Simply contemplating the weight your actions hold as driver can be enough encouragement to change your behavior. For example, seatbelts. As obvious as this may seem, it was shown by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that 51% of drivers who died in car accidents were not buckled up in 2021. It just goes to show that the smallest actions we take for granted can have huge live saving impacts when involved in a collision. What can make it difficult is chaining together those small efforts in order to create a safer road.

Once you have realized the responsibility weighed upon you as a driver, the next step is to take that responsibility and exercise it. Taking drivers safety courses is an excellent way to reexamine and rebuild the fundamentals of safe driving. As shown in psychologist Herman Ebbinhaus’ famous learning experiments, new information is easily forgotten when not repeatedly studied. By taking courses and refreshing yourself of the basics, you are setting yourself up for long term success in road safety. Much of improving as a driver falls on day to day action, so the commitment to paying attention to the road and reminding yourself of your responsibility to other drivers and your passengers is the most effective way to change long term driving habits.

Our responsibility is not only to ourselves, however. The road is communal, and so it is on all motorists to practice safe driving. In my own life, I have encountered dangerous driving while with my friends. While driving home from a party, my friend began to drive recklessly, speeding and swerving in and out of traffic. I realized the harm this could cause us almost immediately. Once we were off the busy road, I warned my friend that if he did not change the way he was driving, endangering others and myself, I would find another ride home. Immediately, my friend realized the stress it was causing me and the danger he had put us in, and so stopped. It wasn’t about condemning my friend, but instead making him realize the responsibility he had to not only other motorists, but also to the passengers inside of his car. We can often forget that, and a reminder is all that is needed to change the way we act.

In conclusion, driver’s education means nothing without the personal commitment of the driver. You must realize your responsibility, make a conscious effort to learn, and remind others of their obligations in order to create a safer road. Although it may seem trivial or unnecessary to take drivers education classes, it is those small unconscious actions that you learn that can make the difference between life and death on the road.