Driver’s Education Essay

The importance of driver education in reducing the number of deaths is it teaches the rules and regulations of the road. By following those rules and regulations, it provides the driver with skills and knowledge to operate a vehicle safely. It is important for the driver of the vehicle to be aware of others on the road and recognize what else may affect the direction of the road, understanding traffic laws, hazard identification, not being distracted while driving, not driving under the influence, and teaches the drivers the consequences of risky behaviors, especially to young new drivers. This will reduce the number of deaths exponentially as a result of driving carefully. The steps to becoming a safe driver is to be sure to always wear your seat belt, use your indicator, and never look away from the road. There should be no texting or typing on a phone or iPod while behind the wheel and driving. It is also known to be clear headed when driving, so that means not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs that can warp the mind. Traffic laws should be enforced stricter, the road should be made sure not to have any potholes or dangerous cracks that could cause an accident, more cars should have an advance driver assistance system, and more schools should have driver’s education for high schoolers so they can learn how to navigate a vehicle in a safe environment. I have been in a car crash, it being my fault my first year of college. I was reaching over to the passenger’s side trying to kill a love bug with a napkin and wasn’t paying attention that I was bringing the wheel with me when I was reaching. I then drove off the side of the road into a ditch, then hit a tree head on. It completely totaled my car and left me shaken by the experience. I was then helped by a passerby who helped me out of my car and called 911. They then transported me to the local emergency room for testing but besides bruising from my seat belt, I was perfectly fine. I was lucky to be alive, let alone unhurt by the ordeal. I certainly have learned my lesson from that situation and keep both hands on the wheel and pull over if I need to kill a bug. There was also once in high school, I had a friend who was driving a couple of us around in her van from prom and took us to her house which was located in a forest. She explained she knew these roads so well, she didn’t even need the lights on, and proceeded to turn off the lights, leaving the moon as the only light source as she drove the rest of the way to her house, which gave me quite a fright. Lastly, a few years ago, my family and I lived in Mississippi, and my mother was driving her car with me in the passenger seat. She was driving responsibly and carefully as she always does, and it was in the daytime. A deer then jumped out from the forest in front of her car, and we had a head on collision with it. Unfortunately, it damaged her car badly, and the poor deer was still alive. We had to call the cops to put it down. A week later, as she was driving my car, me in the passenger seat again, another deer jumped out of the forest and totaled my car. It was not a situation of her driving uncontrollably or recklessly, but there are just some situations we cannot control, such as nature popping out from nowhere. Some steps to take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road is to watch everyone and everything while you drive, make sure not to be distracted from the road, wear a seat belt and make sure your passengers are as well, use your indicator, and be sure to both hands on the wheel. And it should be a given, to only drive with a clear head and steady hands. It is also best to stay focused, obey traffic laws, maintain a comfortable distance from the car in front of you, adjust your speed and driving to the weather conditions, making sure the vehicle is up to date with regulations, and encourage friends and family to follow the rules and regulations of the road.