The Importance of Drivers Ed in Safe Driving

As cars have been around for over 130 years, statistics relating to every conceivable aspect of their use have existed for quite some time as well. I’m a pretty big fan of statistics, because I like pure, irrefutable numbers to rely on. While plenty of people don’t like logic and math, it remains the best way to prove something. That being said, when it comes to driving, the statistics tend to lean towards the gruesome side of things. One of the best examples of these gruesome statistics are the rates for fatal crashes caused by distracted and impaired drivers, which end up totalling around 3000 deaths a year nationwide. I was shown this statistic, among many, many others during my time taking a Drivers Ed course. Those statistics were a huge part of why I found that course to be so impactful to the way that I approach driving. Drivers Ed, for me, was actually a very interesting course, as I was taught about all of the situations you can find yourself in while driving and all of the dangers that arise when you do anything while driving that isn’t driving. For example, I was taught the effects that actively using a mobile device can have in your focus, being significantly worse than being drunk. I won’t be the first to admit that I use my phone way more than I should in my daily life, but the experience that I gained from my Drivers Ed course makes me ensure that it stays away no matter what when I drive. Regardless, tens of thousands of people will die each year from poor driving habits. Distractions are a small portion of that, only around 7%. There are a lot of things that people can do besides putting the devices down to reduce that number. One of the best things that any driver can do is take a defensive driving course if they start to feel unsafe around other drivers, as it allows you to have extra control over the situation even when other drivers make bad decisions. Such a course usually entails specific situational awareness to help prevent a crash, even if it wouldn’t be your fault. Another way that drivers can reduce fatal crashes is to drive at a speed at which they feel comfortable at and is safe for the conditions, not exceeding the speed limit and reducing their speed when conditions outside would otherwise impair their driving ability. Being 17, a large number of my friends have started driving a lot within the past year or two. While most of them have become responsible drivers who obey traffic laws and such, a couple of them drive like they live in a fast and furious movie. These guys ignore stop signs, go highway speeds on public roads, and generally cause mayhem without actually crashing by some miracle. I’ve had the displeasure of experiencing firsthand this driving, both by driving near them and riding in their cars at one point or another, and it’s a very terrifying experience when it seems like you could hit any number of things at any given time. After some of these experiences, I try not to ride with any of these guys for any reason, because seeing the way they drive has severely weakened my trust in them not just as drivers, but also as friends. I’m at least glad that they all wear seatbelts when they drive, because otherwise they would very easily fall victim to darwinism. One way that anyone can help others become safer on the road is simply by driving well in order to be a good example, as being an example for others will allow them to do multiple things. For example, they can become a better driver from seeing your example and the safety that you provide while driving, and the second. Another thing that you can do to improve the driving of others is to not ride with them and explain exactly why. A lot of the time this can cause them to improve their driving because they feel offended that you think they’re a bad driver. The other option they have in that case is to simply not drive with you, which also isn’t a bad thing. I think that the best example of this is that I was riding in the back of a friend’s truck to a restaurant after football practice, and he was pulled over for running a stop sign and generally driving recklessly. After I got back to my car, I told him that I wasn’t going to ride in his truck like that because I didn’t trust his driving, and I just never have since.