Driver Education

Driver education? What is that? I’ll tell you. Driver education or Drivers Education is what most people call it, is a program that teaches people how to drive a vehicle safely. Drivers Ed is mostly involved in high schools, but it can also be taken in in-person classes or online. The program covers the main driving topics like state driving laws, vehicle operation, traffic codes, safety precautions, basic vehicle maintenance, and dangerous driving conditions. Taking this class is very important because it teaches you the important protocols of driving. Without taking it you won’t know the important stuff of driving and the safety you must follow. The classes aren’t that easy, you won’t expect green to go, yellow to be slow, and red is stop, it’s more than that. You can’t go driving when you don’t know vehicle maintenance and operation, driving laws, and traffic codes, because these are some of the most important things about driving. This is what leads to a lot of death. People not paying attention in Drivers Ed or people who just don’t take that class and still drive. Approximately 41 thousand people died in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2023. A way to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is to of course wear your seatbelt even if there are 2 belts like a seat belt and a lab belt, wear both. Another way to reduce the number of deaths is to pay attention while driving, this includes not being distracted by anything like your phone, music, or food, and if there’s a problem or a call you have to just park on the right side of the road and do your thing. These things are included in what Drivers Education teaches you so it’s very important to pay attention in that class. About a year ago my mother was in a car accident that involved her and a different person. She was driving in a 2-way curved street, and when she was curving the person from the other way street wasn’t paying attention and didn’t realize it was a curve and hit her car. This is why it’s very important to pay attention while driving and slow down while driving, in curved or hill streets. This person didn’t only lose his car but also his insurance rate increased, which means they have to pay more for insurance. A big step I can take to be a better and safer driver is to practice more in empty parking lots with a parent since I only have my permit and to pay attention especially because I am a teenager and have a future and accidents happen to anybody. Another way is to obey speed limits and follow traffic signals and stop signs. This is very important because if you keep driving on a red light and there’s a car coming from the other side with a green light you both go at the same time and there, you’ve got yourself in an accident, this also goes for a stop sign. Steps I can take to help others become safer on the road is to use signals because if I’m driving and suddenly turn into the right road and I didn’t do my signal the person behind me won’t know that and because you didn’t do your sign they don’t know they were supposed to slow down. After all, they can’t read your mind and there again you got yourself an accident. Another step I can take to help others become safer on the road is to report someone who is recklessly driving. A lot of people recklessly drive in the streets and mostly on the highway and most of the time get away with it, but if a reckless driver is caught speeding or driving very mindlessly people should call 911 and report them. They should include the license plate number and a description of the vehicle and what the driver is doing. Another thing to report is if someone is drunk driving. To know if someone is drunk and driving is to see their actions and how they drive, some ways it shows that they are drunk is if they’re tailgating vehicles around them, suddenly braking, ignoring traffic signals, not staying in lanes, and everything that involves not driving safely. Overall Drivers Ed is very important because it teaches drivers to be safe to do the right things and to be aware of certain situations like weather conditions and reckless drivers.