The Importance of Driving Education

Driver’s education is extremely important in reducing the number of driving-related deaths, but having the education goes hand in hand with practicing what you learn. A driver can know all the rules of the road and still get in a fatal accident if they don’t put those rules into practice. Carelessness and distracted driving are some of the major leading causes of fatal car accidents today. According to Policy Advice, distracted driving causes 25%-50% of all crashes; this applies mainly to young/ new drivers. Young drivers are inexperienced and some feel that this is their time to shine and show out that they are finally able to drive alone on the road, and it just may cost them their life. When drivers start practicing what they learn, then we will be on the right path to reducing the number of deaths related to car accidents.

Along with driver’s education, I believe that parents of young drivers need to step up and have an active role in ensuring that their children know and are able to apply the rules of the road. As they are first starting out on their driving experiences, parents should carefully watch for any mistakes that their children make and have consequences in place to discourage reckless driving behavior. I know too many parents that are not strict enough when it comes to their children driving recklessly. Young drivers know what to do, but they don’t see how important it is to follow and practice what they learn yet because they don’t have the experience that their parents have.

Being in a car accident is one of my greatest fears, so I am thankful that I have never experienced one and I never want to encounter one. I have one family member who drives irresponsibly and it does not sit well with me. I do not like riding in the car with him because of it. He texts and drives, operates the radio while driving, and I’ve even seen him sleeping while driving. Thankfully he has never been in an accident, but every time he leaves the house, I hope that nothing happens and that he stays safe on the road because I know firsthand how deadly car accidents can be. For the past few months, people that I know have been dying in car accidents because they were driving irresponsibly. At one point, it was every week that I would get the news that someone else died from a car accident in my community.

In order to become a safer driver, I have to put into action what I learn about safe driving. I have to input driving methods like wearing a seatbelt, no texting, eating, or sleeping while driving. When I see others not doing the right thing while driving, I can inform them by telling them what they are doing is wrong, so the next time, hopefully, they won’t do it again.