Name: Shreya Ravichandran
From: Alpharetta, GA
Votes: 0
When
I was coming home from my best friend’s birthday sleepover in first
grade, my dad and I ended up in a car accident because the other
driver ignored the yellow light telling him to slow down. My mother
was in an accident that could have been life-threatening for her if
she had been seated just a few inches to her side. Car crashes are
those deadly reminders that the moment we take charge of the wheel,
we are putting not only our lives but the lives of everyone around us
in our hands.
I
have thankfully never had a family member or friend pass away at the
hands of another driver, but, considering the number of people every
year who die from car accidents, there is still an evident problem
when it comes to how safely people choose to drive. When we receive
our licenses, we pledge to remember that we are in control of others’
safety, too, yet so often, people’s focus diverges from the lane
they are in.
To
drive safely, we must teach people about responsibility before they
even drive for the first time. Thus, the importance of driver
education in reducing the number of on-road fatalities stems from the
fact that one should not learn to drive properly through experience.
There is no trial-and-error when it comes to safe driving, but
teaching someone the basics and necessity of responsible driving even
before they get in the driver’s seat can significantly reduce
driving-related deaths.
The
individual makes the final decisions, though, when he or she gets
into the car. Should she wear her seatbelt? Should he check his phone
on the highway? Every single little choice equates to either
protecting a life or putting it in danger. The better and safer
drivers follow the steps of being cognizant of their surroundings and
being self-aware of their own capabilities behind the wheel; taking a
driving course allows the person to know exactly how to follow
traffic rules and ensure that travel is safe for everyone involved,
and after receiving his or her license, exercising what was learned
in the classroom maintains consistency and prevents any error when
commanding the wheel. The simplicity involved in consistently being a
smart driver is shocking when looking at how many car accidents there
are in the country, but learning how to drive has been structured so
that anyone can feel secure when controlling his or her vehicle.
Driver
education directly influences the number of deaths from driving
because an informed driver will make the best decisions while on the
road, and there is no room for gray area when someone has been taught
that one second of lost focus is not worth one person’s life. With
being given the privilege to drive, an individual must be fully
conscious of the power in their hands. Besides, a smarter driver will
know that drivers ed is a better reminder than a car
accident of how dangerously powerful driving can be.
