Driver Education: In the Driver’s Seat

Having the ability to drive on the road comes with great freedom and great responsibility. Being someone who has only had their license for a little under two years, I completely understand that. Of course, before getting my license I had to endure driver’s education. The program taught me most of what I know about the ways of the road and how to practice safe driving habits.

Driver’s education provides insights into the potential consequences of reckless driving, including the impact of impaired driving, and distractions. This knowledge empowers individuals to make responsible choices behind the wheel. It also focuses on practical skill development through hands-on training; like learning to operate a vehicle safely in different conditions, like adverse weather, heavy traffic, and unfamiliar road layouts. Also, skills such as proper lane changing, defensive driving techniques, and effective communication with other road users are honed during driver’s education. These skills not only enhance the individual driver’s safety but also contribute to the overall efficiency of traffic flow, reducing the likelihood of accidents and fatalities.

Attitude formation is an often overlooked yet essential aspect of road safety. By talking about having patience, which I believe is what many people lack in current society, empathy, and responsibility on the road. Emphasis on responsible decision-making, understanding the consequences of one’s actions, and having respect for fellow road users contribute to safe and positive roads. Drivers who have undergone education are more likely to approach driving with a sense of responsibility, reducing the likelihood of aggressive driving behaviors and, consequently, accidents leading to fatalities.

With new technology being created and placed into newer cars some systems help in situations where there may be danger. For example, anti-lock braking systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), blind spot sensors/lights, sensors that inform you something is coming towards you when reversing, etc. Educating new drivers about the capabilities and limitations of modern vehicle technologies allows them to make informed decisions while on the road.

I have personally seen and heard of many kinds of accidents. I have known people who have been in one, and those people will typically say that it was a wake-up call for them to become better and safer drivers. It is upsetting that they need to be in a near-death situation and put someone else in danger, for it to become apparent to them how important it is to practice safe driving habits. And for those who were in an accident, but it wasn’t their fault, they still become more cautious while on the road. They will learn to perceive what is happening around them better or learn ways to be defensive while driving.

Specifically, my significant other had been in an accident about a year ago. I remember receiving a group call from him and his mother, and she said, “He was in an accident but he’s okay,” and my heart dropped. I knew he was okay, but I still felt uneasy. His car was dented but was still perfectly capable of driving. The other driver was speeding, and they had merged into each other, my partner said he didn’t see the other car due to a blind spot. However, because he had just gotten his license, he was scared that this would be an issue because he was still a provincial driver. He had also previously gotten two speeding tickets. We both knew that he was a speedy driver, and he would practice risky driving here and there. But this incident showed him how important it is to practice safe driving. Even though it wasn’t his fault this time, it could’ve been him doing it to someone else if he was speeding recklessly. So ever since then, he reminds me and shows me that he continues to practice safe driving, for himself and others on the road.

Something else that I see very commonly while driving with people my age especially, is phone usage while driving. I have friends of mine who will be so addicted to their phone they feel like they must be scrolling through social media, or responding to a text that is in no way urgent. Or I will be at a gathering with friends who are consuming alcohol, and they say they feel fine to drive. It amazes me that they have the confidence to get behind the wheel and put themselves and others in danger, while sometimes thinking it’s funny. If I am around anyone in these types of situations, I do my best to convince them to not do something reckless but to call an Uber to have someone sober drive them back home.

Reducing the number of deaths that occur on the road can be addressed through various factors. Enforcing or enhancing the consequences for traffic violations, especially ones that involve speeding, DUI’s, or reckless driving. Implement more traffic cameras, perform maintenance on roads, and improve poorly designed intersections. Promote public transportation or other alternative types of transportation like bicycling or walking, which will not only reduce accidents but carbon emissions as well. Use social media to relay messages about safe driving and include statistics that can be eye-opening to viewers. Or tack on more testing procedures in driver’s education, to more confidently weed out drivers who aren’t prepared to be on the road yet.

In conclusion, the importance of driver’s education in reducing road deaths cannot be overstated. By providing individuals with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for safe driving, through a combination of theoretical learning, practical skill development, attitude formation, risk perception, and adaptation to technological advances, driver’s education helps create safer roadways. It is also important to consider and influence more procedures that can be conducted to enforce people to practice safe habits while behind the wheel, and to eventually limit the number of accidents happening on our road systems.