Gear Up: The Highway to Safe Driving

Watching a car swerve into another lane and smash into another car shocked my entire family. We pulled over and called 9-1-1. Both parties were hurt, so we waited for the police to arrive. I realize that it could have been worse however, so this was a frightening close call.

Maybe the mirrors weren’t adjusted correctly. Maybe the car that switched lanes didn’t bother to check the mirrors or turn on its indicator. This kind of situation underscores the importance of driver’s education. All the steps to changing lanes should have been reinforced better in the mind of the driver at fault: check the mirror, make sure that no car is approaching, and turn on the indicator for moving left.

Often, a reason why people don’t check their mirrors or act carelessly is because they are texting while driving. Over 400 people die due to texting while driving and around 3,000 die due to distracted driving in 2024 within the US, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These behaviors can be avoided with driver’s education. This lack of knowledge is especially relevant among teens. 1 in 3 teens who drive admit to texting while driving.

This is why driver’s education must be mandatory within schools. Only 23 states mandate it at the moment but driver’s education should be a requirement in all schools for the safety of all drivers. A careless driver doesn’t just impact themselves, but all the other drivers on the road. I believe that a driver’s education course should also be mandatory for all adults before they get their license, because adults must also know the rules of the road.

I believe that not only should auditory driver’s education be required, but behind the wheel driver’s education under the supervision of a qualified instructor should also be required. Real world instruction is important, because it is often the case that drivers have to make split-second decisions in the moment that an auditory or written course cannot prepare someone for.

Besides mandatory driver’s education, I believe the government should focus on public awareness to address large scale issues like drunk driving. Everyone must realize the dangers of a DUI and the potential consequences to one’s own and others’ lives. This can include launching television ads, news reports on those killed due to irresponsible driving, and encouraging community leaders to talk about these issues with other community members.

In addition to convincing community leaders to talk about issues like drunk driving and drowsy driving (driving while fatigued), local governments can send representatives to large gatherings like organized events or even at local supermarkets to hand out flyers or give a speech on these critical issues.

Beyond creating public awareness, I believe we should be able to use technological advances to make driver’s education fun and interactive. Real life behind the wheel instructors might not have enough time to teach adults for a long term period so engineers can build virtual reality driving simulators that help correct a driver’s technique in real-time. In addition, we can build mobile apps with driving quizzes and trivia where the top scorers can win prizes. Quizzes can test all the functions of the car, such as how wipers and high beams are turned on, both of which lead to more visibility in situations where it is hard to see other cars (e.g in the rain). This is more engaging than just reading a book and will lead to far less people blowing off driver’s education.

Finally, with the technology we have today, the government can subsidize building systems within every car that check if drivers have their seatbelts on, their eyes are on the road, and mirrors are adjusted correctly. If these conditions are not met, an alarm can sound within the car.

Today, I’m currently practicing driving with my parents and focusing on driver safety. Whenever I am about to make a mistake, my parents are there to correct my driving. In addition, I look through the NJ MVC book each week to review my knowledge of key facts like the purpose of each road sign. I encourage everyone to review the edbook from time to time because it is an invaluable resource. It is difficult to remember all possible driving rules without consistent review and practice.

Overall, there are many methods the government can employ to bolster driver’s education within the general population, and there are many things we can do as responsible citizens. Driver’s education helps prevent dangerous practices such as drowsy driving, driving while drunk, and texting or using a cell phone while driving.