Fear is Good for Drivers

In the United States, there are typically over 40,000 deaths a year that are caused by car accidents. Driving education is one of the most important factors that can reduce this number. The more intelligent drivers are out on the road, the less likely they are to be in a wreck of some kind. Knowing the possible outcomes when driving is scary, but that fear can keep you safer. One big issue that is the reason for many of these deaths is drunk driving. Drunk driving remains one of the most pressing safety issues on the road, despite widespread awareness campaigns and legal measures to deter it. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “Every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one person every 39 minutes”(NHTSA) Driving under the influence of alcohol not only jeopardizes the life of the driver but also poses a significant threat to passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists.

From my experience with driving, I have never been in a wreck and I drive very carefully. My mindset for driving comes from everything I learned when I took Drivers Education. I would say that I definitely notice a difference in my driving and the way my friends that did not take Driver’s Ed drive. I have seen these friends drive over the speed limit, text while driving, and even run red lights which all might not seem like a big deal but could end up costing someone their life. All of the rules on the road are there for a reason and if everyone just thinks that they are the exception to these rules then driving would be much more dangerous. This is why I think taking a Drivers Education class is very important, because there are many things that could go wrong when driving. Being aware of these possibilities and anticipating what might happen next are good things to learn as a driver. Driving with a little bit of fear, for me, is what makes me such a safe driver because I know I could not forgive myself if I was the reason somebody got hurt.

When it comes to drunk driving I do not take this lightly. I had a friend who was out drunk driving one night and got a DUI and then the next day he took his life. He could have ended up in a wreck and hurt other people if he had not gotten pulled over. Although the reasons he passed away were not only because of the DUI it was probably a big factor. People need to be able to drive to work, eat, socialize, pretty much everything. So getting that DUI probably made him feel like his life was already over. I will not ever be able to fully understand why people get behind the wheel when they are intoxicated, but what I do know is that it never ends well. I wish that things like this never happened but all we can do is hold ourselves accountable and do our best to hold our friends and family accountable as well.

I think for some people, they do not learn until they make a mistake. For example, I had a friend who was a careless driver until they got pulled over and got a ticket. Now she drives as safe as possible because of the fear of getting another ticket. Learning from the mistakes of others is how I have learned to be a better driver. I believe that the key to safer driving comes from a place of fear. Although that may sound negative, I look at it in a positive way. If I fear that I might not make it through the light on time, I will just stop. I stop because I am afraid to either hit someone or get a ticket for running a red light. This type of fear is something that I hope all drivers have because it has been effective for keeping me a safe driver.

There are rules when driving for a reason. All of these rules are important to keep everyone safe, so believing that you are the exception to these rules is selfish. You should drive knowing the consequences if you do not follow the law, and hopefully most people’s fear will keep them from being reckless drivers. Driver’s Education is more than just the rules, it is also knowing what could happen if you choose not to follow them.