2020 Drivers Education

Driving is a huge undertaking that needs to be done so responsibly. When an individual is not properly trained behind the wheel, it can have dire consequences, the worst of which being death. At the young age of 15 years old, the law allows a student driver to begin practicing for their formal drivers license. In my opinion, this is the most critical time in becoming responsible in learning and getting accustomed to being behind the wheel. Being prepared to handle and drive a vehicle doesn’t come easy and should not be shrugged off as such. I believe everyone could benefit from a driver’s education course. It instructs you on the basics: wearing your seatbelt properly, using your turning signals, monitoring your speed, safe following distance, use of mirrors, how to navigate emergency turns, and how to properly stop at the appropriate distance. You also train on the laws of the state in which you’re driving. Drivers education gives you real hands on experience on road safety, conditions in which you’ll have to drive in that are less than desirable, proper parking, how to handle steering, how to counteract a slide or skid and safely correct the situation, just to name a few. It is the first, basic step in becoming comfortable behind the wheel. Taking this course and familiarizing yourself behind the wheel will help prevent car accidents leading to less deaths on the roadways.

The number one important rule of preventing death on the roadways is to properly wear and use your seatbelt. Make it a habit of ALWAYS clicking that seatbelt as soon as you get into the car. Wearing a seatbelt properly will keep you secure behind the wheel while driving. Never disable the alarm sensor and insist that everyone riding with you is buckled up. Another important step in preventing deaths on the roadways is never to drive intoxicated. Never drink alcohol; even one drink is too many. When people say “I’ve only had one drink, I’ll be fine”, tell them no and take their keys. They may feel fine but it is still inebriated driving. The same thing would be said about drugs and medications that could make you drowsy or delay reaction time. You must always drive clear headed, with complete ability to reason and react. Stay focused on the road. Do not get distracted by your phone, the radio, and other drivers. Best yet would be just to turn all distractions off. Silence your phone or set it to driving mode, keep the radio turned off. Do not eat, apply makeup or anything else that takes your hands and eyes off the road. Proper use of your headlights is also important in preventing deaths and accidents. Many people fail to use headlights in foggy conditions, snow, rain, dusk and dawn. All of these settings reduce your visibility as well as the drivers around you to see and react to you. Often you see many death related accidents from improper use of four way flashers and with merging onto or off the expressway. Many drivers merge without properly looking in their mirrors or merge too slow or fast, cutting off other drivers and making the lanes dangerous to everyone around them. Always be aware of your surroundings. If you can’t maintain the speed, use the flashers and slow down or pull over. Do not tail anyone too closely especially in bad weather conditions such as snow and ice. Allow anywhere from two to four car lengths between you and the driver in front of you to allow proper reaction time needed to stop safely in bad weather conditions. Life is not a race; no one wants to race to their death. Staying calm and in control behind the wheel will all help in keeping the death toll down on our roadways each year.

On more occasions than I like to remember, I’ve lost friends and family from unnecessary driving related deaths. Many of my friends have gone to parties and were underage drinking and consumed too much. They left the party later that evening, drove erratically and were speeding. All five of them were crammed into one small car thinking they were invincible and tragically lost their lives for a few hours of fun. Even more tragic is a young couple I lost because they were on their way to church on Sunday morning. They were in the car and listening to music. As they were changing the CD out for another one, he took his eyes off the wheel. He came up around a bend and misjudged it, sending all the CD’s flying to the floor. Rather than leave them to be picked up later, he and his girlfriend tried to pick them all up. They took their eyes off the road again, resumed swerving on the road, and drove their car into a tree. They died on impact. Died for what? For a stupid CD that could have waited. They lost their young lives because they took their focus off the road. It only takes a second to lose control. They paid for it with their lives. Another story that will forever stick with me is the many, many times my grandfather drove drunk. He totaled approximately 2 cars a year to drunk driving, never learning his lesson. Fortunately, he never killed an innocent bystander or another driver on the road but after 25 years of driving inebriated, his luck ran out and he lost his life. Chasing that high or euphoric feeling wasn’t worth losing his family and a relationship with his grandchildren whom he was very close to.

To be a better and safer driver on the road, please do not become distracted by unimportant distractions such as music, phones, texts, or trying to multitask. Please be sure you are physically fit to be behind the wheel. Get a yearly physical as well as a vision exam. If you’re uncomfortable in certain driving settings and situations, please either avoid driving in them or practice, practice, practice with someone who can help you execute success in that area. Whether it be parallel parking, driving in hazardous conditions or being lost trying to find your destination. Keep a calm head, do not get anxious, and stay focused. Pull off the road to make calls, ask directions, eat, etc. It only takes a moment to change your life or that of a stranger forever.