The Driver CHAOS

Driving education is crucial in reducing driving-related deaths by equipping new drivers with essential knowledge and skills. It teaches traffic laws, safe driving practices, and defensive driving techniques, helping drivers make informed decisions and anticipate hazards. Practical experience in various driving conditions prepares them for real-world scenarios, while education on the dangers of distracted driving, speeding, and driving under the influence fosters safer habits. Studies show that educated drivers are less likely to be involved in accidents, and insurance discounts for course completion further incentivize proper training. Overall, driver education promotes responsible driving and significantly lowers accident rates.

In my opinion, the opportunity to drive is pretty much handed out. In the state of Pennsylvania, those under the age of 18 must apply for a non-commercial learner’s permit, which can be applied for a maximum of 6 months prior to one’s 16th birthday, along with a parent or guardian consent form. Those who pass their learner’s permit are only allowed to drive if the front seat passenger is someone over the age of 18 with a driver’s license. After filling out this document, the next step is to take the learner’s permit knowledge exam. Luckily, there is an app which has questions similar to those on the actual exam, and it’s all multiple choice. In my own experience, I applied for my learner’s permit at the age of 15 and took my knowledge exam a month or two later. On the day of the exam, I went in, paid, and was directed to the testing area. The exam is scored out of 18, and if you get 15 right, you automatically pass. I took the exam and finished in 2 minutes. When I took this exam, I wasn’t really thinking about the questions in any depth because it was simple multiple choice. I believe one step we can take to reduce the number of deaths related to driving among teenagers is to change the structure of the exam to require teens to think about the causes and effects of their driving, as well as the knowledge in each chapter of the driver’s manual. After some time, you are then allowed to take the physical driving exam, which consists of knowing some basics like high beams, brakes, turn signals, and parallel parking. In this stage, I think it would be a great idea to incorporate questions about safety, for example, “If you are driving next to a bicyclist, what should you do?” or “What is a list of things you should not do when driving?”

In December 2022, after finishing my shift at work, I had the unfortunate experience of being involved in a car accident, and this time I was at fault. After my 8-hour shift, I had planned a girl’s night where we would get together and drink hot chocolate while watching Christmas movies. While driving in the busy left lane of Mt. Lebanon, I had a few questions about the time we were supposed to get together, so I kept diverting my attention to my phone, which was in a holder above the heating vents. I started to continuously tap on my phone to try and contact my best friend through messages, but the second I looked up, I saw the brake lights of about 4 cars ahead of me waiting to turn. During this moment, I started panicking, and since my brakes weren’t the greatest, I knew that trying to brake quickly wouldn’t have worked. Even if I did try, the car behind me could have hit me regardless of the sudden brake, and I would’ve gotten hurt. So, I decided to swerve to the left because of less traffic and just go that way. It wasn’t until I got over to the right side of the oncoming traffic that I was hit by an oncoming car. Everything happened so fast for me; it was more of a side swipe on the right side of my car, and thankfully, those who hit me were okay, and only their front-right light was damaged. After the collision, I was in my car in shock, shaking from fear and guilt. The couple that I had caused to hit me came up to my window to ask if I was okay, and I was just at a loss for words. I’m very thankful that we were all okay. I just felt so bad that I started shivering and crying, especially because it was December 22nd, a little before Christmas. Everyone at the scene was so nice, but after being in this accident, my car was totaled, and I was a little traumatized from the impact. After losing my car, I was left to rely solely on public transportation until I was able to get another car. Sadly, the new car only lasted me and my mom three months because someone ran a stop sign and hit us, totaling the car. This brings up another important factor in driving: when driving around tight neighborhoods, it is important to have a good view of traffic before turning to ensure no accidents!

After being in my first-ever accident, it really made me think back to the things I used to do, like being on my phone even if it was to simply change the music on the aux. Some steps I can take to be a better and safer driver include going back to the basics and following driver safety tips: always wear your seatbelt, obey the speed limit, focus on the road and conditions, don’t use your phone while driving, don’t drink and drive, plan ahead and leave early, and always use your turn signals. While it might be annoying to constantly hear the same things over and over again, it is for your safety and the safety of others. No matter what, we can only teach ourselves the correct way to drive, but others on the road might not follow those rules, affecting your safety as well.