In the Driver’s Seat

In 2021, approximately 10,000 babies were born each day. In the same year, there was an average of over 17,000 car accidents a day. There were more opportunities for people to be injured or killed per day than babies born. Proper driver education can be the difference between life and death in some scenarios. Most people have access to a car, some are even allowed to drive before they are officially licensed, but few fully grasp the responsibility placed into the hands of a driver when they are behind the wheel. This responsibility grows with each person riding in the car alongside the driver. I recently passed my driving test earlier this year and I fear being the driver in an accident even if it is not my fault. One close call comes to mind, and I sometimes find myself replaying the moment in my head as it could have ended way worse had I not been alert. I believe I am a safe driver, but I am willing to learn and grow so that I am never the cause of an accident myself.

Many accidents, which leads to death, are caused by driver miseducation. Many people do not know the rules of the road and sometimes they just do not care. Driving is relatively easy, especially when you know where you are going, so I believe some people find themselves in autopilot mode with minimal focus. This causes them to miss other people’s mistakes or make mistakes themselves which leads to accidents. I think a huge part of driver education that some people do not think about enough is the danger. Driving is a dangerous task, but again, it is simple, so this rarely crosses people’s mind. But it should. I have seen people run a light or barely stop at a stop sign and they have not had an accident yet, but it only takes one time.

Oftentimes, people also become too comfortable driving because they have been doing it so long. They might also simply forget the rules of the road. If you get your driver’s license at 16 and you are driving until you die, it is understandable to forget a rule or two on the way. I believe that a review test should be administered when people renew their license as well. I do not think that a driving test is necessary but a written test that covers simple rules everyday drivers should be aware of. In Florida, I only had to take a written test for my permit so I am sure when it is time to renew my license, a review will be long overdue. My permit written test had a lot of extra information that I do not believe was important, but drivers should at least be able to recognize common signs and their meaning. This would ensure that drivers are not allowed to keep driving simply because they passed a test however many years ago.

One thing that I have seen plenty of people do while I was a passenger is distracted driving. Whether it is reaching in the back or being on the phone, it is irresponsible and always a bit scary when the driver does it in front of me. I am quick to speak up about texting and driving, I feel like it is a dumb reason to get into an accident. Becoming a driver, I can see the appeal. You get a text, and you might start responding at a red light but then it turns green right before you can finish your thought. I have learned that it is not as important as it may seem. The person you are texting would much rather you get home safe than respond to their message promptly. I can admit that I have even tried to text and drive at certain points, but it led to a few close calls, so I quickly learned it was not worth it. A simple irresponsibility that I also see and hear people talk about is running stop signs. My brother almost lost his life because a woman ran a stop sign, so I always stop no matter what. The close call of mine that I previously mentioned was because a car did not make a complete stop at the stop sign. Had I not been paying attention; it would have been a head-on collision.

Being a new driver, I have seen why experienced drivers cut some of the corners they do but it is all dangerous in the end. The safest driver is a fully focused driver and from now on I do my best to have all my attention on the road.