A Thank You to Drivers Ed

Being 16 is one of the most monumental ages; you are starting your junior year of high school, almost an adult, and finally on your path to being another driver on the road. This transition time is essential for the kid and the parent, specifically for driving. Kids are filled with the freedom of driving, and parents are filled with the worry of their kids being on the road. But this is why driving schools are put in place: to teach teenagers the rights and wrongs of the road before they are officially off to drive by themselves. While this is an essential moment in this stage of a teenager’s life, other things may seem more important to them. Things like friends, school, and relationships are also significant concerns in their lives, which add to the long list of possible distractions that can deter their attention from how important and serious driving can be. This is when driving school becomes valuable, teaching them about defensive driving, distracted driving, and overall rules of the road.

In the United States, from 2020-2022, one of the leading causes of death was unintentional injuries, like car accidents. This occurs because of inexperience on the teen’s part, outside distractions like phones or friends, impaired driving, and other risky behaviors the driver performs. However, driving instruction is mandated to counteract these accidents and ensure students are safer on the road. Driver education has many benefits for the student and the other drivers on the road, for the safety of all parties. Drivers Ed teaches the rules of the road, defensive driving, safety, and overall increases the student’s confidence to reduce crash rates. It also addresses the daily distractions drivers face, especially when they first start driving, and how to avoid or eliminate them altogether.

Teens and adult drivers all have distractions even when behind the wheel. From the passengers in the car to our cellphones, little things can take someone’s eyes off the road for even two seconds, which is just enough time for a fatal mistake, especially when operating a vehicle. One of the biggest distractions when driving is cell phones; they are more prominent than ever today. Whether texting, calling, looking at the GPS, or even social media, our phones are distractions in every aspect of our lives. They become a deadly distraction when the person behind the wheel looks at them. That is why it is not only against the law to use your phone while driving, but also a big part of driving instructions to limit phone use. Another big distractor can be the individuals in your car. Even if they mean no harm, a person talking or singing can disturb the driver. This adds to the list of possible causes of a fatal car ride, also being another vital topic during driving instruction. Also, as a rule of the road, when you first start driving, you are not allowed to have more than one passenger who is not a sibling or without an adult when possessing a driving or learner’s permit. This, again, is where we owe our gratitude to driving instructors and schools because they teach everyone about these harmful distractions and make sure these fatal car accidents happen less and less.

Car wrecks can happen to anyone at any time; I know this because my older sister had a car accident a few years back, but thanks to her quick thinking and understanding of defensive driving, it was not as bad as it could have been. My sister was driving back from her high school’s homecoming game one late night. At this point, she had her license for a while, so for the most part, she knew the rules of the road, and our parents trusted her. However, while she was almost home, she came across a car. They did not have their headlights on, and they were not paying attention to the road in front of them, in other words, my sister. Before the accident became fatal, my sister was able to see the car and move out of the way as much as she could. To this day, I am thankful for her understanding of driving and everything she has learned to keep her here with us today. So, once I started my driver’s education, I absorbed all I could to ensure I was a safe and competent driver.

As I said, car accidents can happen to anyone, so as long as we continue to require drivers’ education and schools and communities teach about driving and its dangers and safety, we as a community can make the roads safer. We can give teens the confidence they need to get on the road, parents the peace of mind of having their children out there, and even adults the knowledge and experience of driving to keep every person safe.