Buckle Up

Drivers education programs have been proven to be a key factor in determining the driving skill and overall safety of a young driver. Drivers education teaches young drivers about all of the different factors that they will encounter while driving. Drivers only have split seconds to make a decision on what action they are going to take in a given situation, and going through a drivers education class can help drivers not only make the correct action, but also do it a safe way. According to a study done by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, teens that take a driver’s education class are involved in less car crashes and receive less traffic violations.

To reduce the number of deaths related to driving, states should require drivers to have to undergo a driver’s education course so that they can be exposed to the situations that they encounter while driving. High schools across the country could introduce an element of driver’s education in a health or physical education class. The more that young drivers are exposed to the dangers and reality of driving, the safer they will be. Young drivers should also always make sure that them and their passengers are wearing seatbelts at all times, and that the driver is a state to drive. It is important that young drivers are exposed to what the consequences are to impaired driving. Whether that be driving under the influence of drugs like alcohol or marijuana, or driving while drowsy, student drivers should be exposed to the health and legal consequences of driving impaired.

Personally, I have never been in a car accident, and I hopefully never will. I have seen my friends drive irresponsibly at times and as a passenger it is frightening. I’ve seen my friends use their phones while driving, and while sometimes I am tempted to use my phone, I think back to the day that my drivers education teacher showed our class a video of a young driver who went on their phone, swerved into the other land of traffic, and crashed into another car. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt, but the driver did end up in prison. You can call it education by fear, but I do not want to end up like that. In order to be a better driver, it can be argued that all students or persons who wish to get a license should take a driver’s education class. I would also call for all drivers to make sure that when they enter their car, to make sure that everyone is buckled in, that the seat and steering wheel are set at an appropriate height, and that the mirrors are set to an angle that allows the driver to view the road around them as they drive. Personally, I think practice and just getting used to awkward situations can help myself learn to be a better driver. The more practice and confidence you have as a driver can help you be safer on the road.