Improving Drivers Education

Driver’s education is an important way to teach new and prospective drivers the rules and laws of the road. Sitting in a driver’s education class encourages safe driving habits by teaching students the things to avoid. In the state of Maryland a student must take an exam to get a learner’s permit and then take 30 hours classroom instruction. Afterward you are to apply what you learn in the class by gaining 60 hours of practice driving as well as six additional hours of behind-the-wheel instruction with a qualified driving school as part of getting a license. You are also required to keep a logbook of all the days and hours you drove as a method of personal accountability.

These methods of reinforcement help new drivers understand the state laws as well as reinforce new drivers on how to follow them.

While the process of being a new driver can be a little nerve-wracking (mostly for my dad) I have found it mostly exciting and confidence-building as the practice and driving with the instructor has progressed. I retained much of what was taught in class.

An example of this is how the instructor stressed the importance of using your turn signal when indicating left or right before changing direction. In my experience most drivers in my area fail to do this and frequently cut people off with no warning. Emphasizing something as little as using a turn signal helps promote road safety especially since most drivers manage a 3,000-pound vehicle. 

According to a 2022 report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a significant cause of 94 percent of traffic accidents are caused by driver error. Out of those accidents, 41 percent are caused by inattention on the road. I have personally witnessed this in many ways. Some drivers are often distracted, sometimes cutting people off. Others will often weave in and out of lanes in traffic and making poor decisions behind the wheel.

More laws prohibiting phone usage while driving would help reduce the number of driving-related accidents and deaths. From my observations drivers have become more addicted to their phones and unfocused on the road. These new laws would ensure that drivers remain focused when behind the wheel. I have seen firsthand how distracted drivers can be. Every year in Maryland, there are about 27,000 injured because of distracted driving, and about 180 people killed. Cell phone usage is the number one cause of distracted driving. 

I was recently side-swiped while driving by someone who was not paying attention and cut across to my lane. Thankfully this was a minor accident but this illustrated to me the importance of being alert when behind the wheel. This incident was caused by a driver not checking his surroundings before changing lanes, which is a crucial skill on the road. Even though the speed both cars were traveling was less than 25 miles per hour and he was an older, experienced driver with a fancy car, it could have been catastrophic at the busy intersection where it happened.

As a new driver I remain attentive and cautious while on the road. I make sure I am following traffic laws at all times, mostly because I remember everything that I learned in my driver’s education class. I will often softly criticize my parents’ driving when they drive 5 to 10 miles per hour the speed limit or when they’re on the highway blasting Led Zeppelin or when they run a yellow light a split a second before it turns red. Because of their example and my lack of experience I tend to have more respect for traffic and remember things from my class to guide me.

I have also observed a few things that can make people better drivers. The first is to make sure you are aware of your surroundings. This includes making sure to always check your mirrors and blind spots when making a decision to change lanes. This is very important especially when entering merge lanes on major roads. This may sound straight forward but a lot of drivers fail to be aware their surroundings, often making rash decisions to cut in front of people.  I’ve seen many drivers make last-minute and potentially dangerous cuts in traffic numerous times. Serious accidents can happen if you don’t see a car coming and you make a decision to cut into their lane.

Another way to improve road safety is for people to plan ahead and know where they’re going, including a time estimate for how long the journey will take. Even a familiar route can have challenges if there is heavy congestion or an accident. A GPS tool is helpful and planning alternate routes in case of emergency is critical in making sure you get to your destination with time to spare. It is also helpful to plan which lane you should be in to follow the route you are taking. For example, if there is a highway spur coming up in your journey it would be better to make sure you are in the correct lane earlier for the direction you are traveling so that you don’t have to make any last-minute lane changes. This would avoid cutting across traffic and minimize risk on the roads.

I have also noticed that living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area tend to be in a hurry to get to their destination. Most drivers have their phones out and make hasty decisions. Many have bad habits. They fight for a few yards of space on the highway and don’t seem to realize that prior preparation, mentally and physically, as well as putting their phones away would go a long way toward ensure our roads are safe.