In The Driver’s Seat

In The Driver’s Seat

Presley Harbert

Drivers ED courses are offered country-wide in the United States, yet only thirty two states require the completion of a Drivers ED course to take the driving test. Understanding the importance of safe driving is vital to one’s success in life. Knowing how to drive safely can determine a person’s fate, can help them calmly and effectively maneuver through a stressful situation, and can be the difference between life and death.

According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, automobile crashes are the leading cause of death in teens, with the age group of sixteen to nineteen year olds having the highest risk of being involved in a crash. Most crashes are due to avoidable errors- errors that could have been avoided if driver education courses had been taken prior to receiving their license. Things like driving too fast for the conditions they are in, not knowing how to interpret road signs and emergency signals, and becoming distracted behind the wheel lead teens to lose control of the vehicle and, ultimately, crash. Drivers education courses teach new drivers the importance of knowing and understanding traffic and driving laws. By taking a course, you will understand and be able to recognize all road signs, which is one thing that causes teen accidents. Many teens do not understand the consequences of reckless driving- something that drivers education courses teach. Once a teen gets their driver’s license, they believe they are invincible. They no longer have to ask around for a ride or have their parents drive them to and from destinations; being able to drive themselves is one of the greatest freedoms a teenager can receive. Teens begin to feel the need to show off, they stop wearing their seat belts, stop obeying basic traffic laws and start speeding, and start using their phones while driving. Once a teen begins unhealthy and unsafe driving habits, they will not stop until something unfortunate happens that affects them directly. Without proper education, teen drivers become inconsiderate and do not think about how their driving can affect others.

Safe driving is a number of things. You should always put your seatbelt on when you get into the driver’s seat and require all passengers to wear their seatbelts as well. As a safe driver, you should not encourage seatbelt use, you should enforce it. Wearing a seatbelt is federal law; therefore, you cannot consider yourself or others a safe driver without proper seat belt use. When you are in the driver’s seat, cell phones and any other obvious distractions should be put away and out of your reach. Safe driving also entails driving the speed limit, and never driving under the influence. Throughout teenage years, peer pressure plays a major role in illegal activity that goes on during the weekends and summer months. Do not be a statistic. By learning to say no, you can not only save your own life, but also the lives of anyone who may cross paths with you in the road. Become familiar with your cars user manual, and learn what every button does in case of need. Always stay aware of your surroundings and stay alert. One rule every driver should live by is that you need to drive for others. You will never know how well other people around you can drive, you can only trust your own abilities. By taking a drivers education course, you can learn to be a safer driver and protect you, your passengers, and your passerbys.