Why is driver education important

I drive a truck for a living, so I see so many accidents. The importance in driver education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving is very important. I do not think that many people realize how dangerous distracted driving can be. I have personally watched people texting and driving, even doing their makeup while driving. I think if more people were educated, that driving would be taken more seriously. People being educated on the traffic laws and recognizing dangerous driving can save many lives. It is also important to be a defensive driver.

There are many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. First wear your seat belt, and if there are children in the car, make sure they are in the proper car seats. One thing I was taught in my commercial driving school was always look ahead and look at the bug picture. Be aware of your surroundings, if there is someone walking close to the road, not paying attention, or a car driving recklessly. This also applies to looking far enough ahead to see if traffic ahead is moving slower, planning on slowing down in plenty of time. Leave enough room between you and the car in front of you. Always obey traffic laws, and read signs, they are very important in knowing if there is a sharp curve and how fast you can safely make that curve. Always drive defensively and keep your head on a swivel. I personally always am looking in every direction, but not concentrating too long in one spot, because then that is considered distracted driving. Another big one is to stay off the cell phones. As a truck driver, I see so many people on their phones. It is not just your life you’re risking but mine too. As for the department of transportation within the states, they can prevent accidents by maintaining roads properly. Also having proper signage on the roads to ensure the laws are posted, such as speed limits and upcoming curves. Finally, but most important, do not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, this risks everyone’s lives involved and never ends well.

My first and only accident was when I was thirty-eight, I had already been driving for twenty-six years. I was in the dump truck, I had a car heading straight at me in a curve, I had a choice of hitting the car or taking the ditch, which I knew would ultimately roll the truck because I was loaded. It was the scariest experience of my life, but I walked away unharmed, and no other person was harmed in the incident or even crashed with me. So, in my eyes, that day it was worth the choice I made. The other car was texting on their phone, which was distracting them and causing them to cross the lines into my lane. Now I have also been on the other side of an accident, of being the parent getting the call that their child had been involved in a head-on collision. My heart dropped. She was sixteen at the time, freshly licensed, it was the worst call of my life. She was hit by a drunk driver who was three times over the legal limit. I was already terrified of her getting into an accident because she was a fresh driver, so even though she wanted one of these new “cool” cars, I got her a 1997 Ford Taurus, and that car saved her life along with wearing her seatbelt. Accidents happen even if you try to prevent them, or you are the best driver in the world. But if you do your part in lessening the chances of getting into an accident, there will be fewer deaths caused by vehicles.

I am going to do my part in lessening the chances of deaths caused by accidents and be a safer driver. I will be more aware of my surroundings. I will also put my phone on do not disturb while driving so my full concentration will be focused on driving. I will also keep drilling it into my children’s head how important it is to be a safe driver. I will always wear my seatbelt. Most importantly, if I decide to go out and join friends for even just one drink, I will have a designated driver. This will prevent any type of impaired driving. I hope after reading this essay, everyone understands the importance of safe driving to reduce deaths by accidents. Thank you for your time.