Importance of Drivers ed

Drivers ed is important in reducing driving deaths because
having the knowledge of safe driving allows a driver to make informed
decisions. There are a multitude of reasons why accidents happen, and
most of them could have been prevented through safe driving. New
drivers especially are more at risk because of lack of experience and
perhaps picking up bad habits from the parents that taught them how
to drive. It is important to educate about safe driving so a driver
can make safer decisions; staying a certain car length behind
vehicles, weather safety, distracted driving. It is not enough for
new drivers to take the required pre-licensing course; they should
have to take a drivers ed class.

When I first received my license, not even two months later I was in
my first serious accident. It was snowing and icy out and I was
driving back from New York City. I needed to get off an exit to get
gas and I took the hill too fast. There was black ice at the end, I
slid through the stop sign into the guard rail, and it bounced me
into oncoming traffic head on. My car was totaled, as was the car I
hit. I hit my jaw on the steering wheel and broke it. I am happy that
I was wearing my seatbelt, even with the bruise it left across my
chest because it saved my life. I think if I knew more about weather
safety and understood that I did not need to do the speed limit, it
may have prevented that accident.

Along with not wearing a seatbelt, distracted driving has contributed
to driving deaths. Even with the Bluetooth and hands-free devices,
driving deaths from cell phone use is still an issue. The first step
in preventing this would be to put the phone away; out of sight, out
of mind. If being on your phone is that tempting, give it to someone
else in the car where it is out of reach. Those who use their phone
for GPS should invest in a holder that is completely hands-free; most
have blue-tooth compatibility and can connect to the radio for
auditory direction.

Since my accident I have been very vocal about how seatbelts save
lives. My older sister is the one I bump heads with the most on this
because she hates to wear her seatbelt. I remind her every time about
my accident and how a seatbelt saved my life. I encourage people to
take the Defensive Driving Course not just for the insurance
discount, but for the information you gather from it. I have taken
this consistently every three years. It keeps me up to date with any
new driving laws and new information pertaining to my state in
general. The more educated a driver is, the safer they are on the
road.