Driver Education

Driver Education

Accidents always happen. It is one of the inevitabilities of life. But tragic accidents are life threatening that can change the course of one’s life. Whether it be psychologically or physically, trauma is often the result of such accidents which can result in death. These types of accidents not only affect the victim, but the victim’s family, friends, and acquaintances. All is not hopeless though. Steps and actions can be taken to mitigate these occurrences or even avoid them. Such steps can be as simple as planning ahead or as complex as working with others and developing a system that will create a safer environment for those around them. These actions must be taken seriously and for occasional and daily activities. One of these activities being driving.

The U.S prides itself on the idea that its people can become independent in the form of driving. This idea is so crucial, in fact, that children begin to learn this type of independence during their crucial years of logic and emotional development. But many of these developments must be taught rather than experimented in order to ensure the safety of the child such as driving. By teaching driver’s education to children, the number of deaths will radically be reduced as they will have a better understanding of what various traffic signs mean, helpful ideas to reduce the chances of a collision, and what to do when emergencies do occur. Drivers education for adults is just as important. With increased responsibilities, the ability to maneuver freely is many times necessary for survival. By having an education in driving, logic is aided in confirming or nullifying driving maneuvers, resulting in the increased safety of people.

Even though drivers education is essential in creating the basic mindset of driving, steps after the fact must also be taken in order to reduce the number of accidents that can result in death. One step that can be taken is to teach elementary school children the opportunities and dangers driving can create. This idea must be as deeply engraved in the mind just as drug avoidance is. In addition, some laws and consequences should be taught. Many would believe this to be a waste of time, but children at this age understand more than what they are believed to comprehend. Especially in the age of the internet. The second step could be that driving safety organizations create fairs, focusing on traffic safety and have a fundraiser for someone who was in an accident and does not have their own funds to pay for their bills. Finally, public service announcements should be enforced just as much as vaping is. Many of these steps are targeted toward children because that is when they are most impressionable. Even if the person does not drive by the time they are an adult, they will remember these messages when they begin to hold the wheel.

As mentioned before, irresponsible driving not only affects the victim, but family and friends of a victim. I have never personally been in an accident but have a close family member that was involved in three. I cannot recall the details of the first, but the second one is imprinted in my mind. I was in middle school when I received the phone call. Luckily the person who had the accident was well enough to speak to me. I was told that they were fine and I had nothing to worry about, but I remembered that the previous accident left trauma on their spine. I wanted to ask how their back felt, but was too afraid to ask. Once I spoke to them in person, they told me that they were backing out of a parking lot and another driver was looking at their phone instead of paying attention to my relative. Regardless, the irresponsible driver caused more damage to my relative’s spine.

The steps I can take to be a safer driver is to remember that the people around me have families and friends that care about them and I try to feel that way about them as well. Even if I am slow and they get mad at me, I can still do my best to understand why they would feel this way and continue to care about their life. I can also keep on practicing various driving skills and techniques individually so that when I have to apply multiple, I have the muscle memory down. Finally, I can do my best to ignore stressors in the car such as loud noises, my phone, or the temptation to eat something in the car. Some ways to reduce stressors is to turn off my phone or put it in driving mode, lower the music, ask people in the car to try to keep quiet, or eat before driving if people plan on eating in the car. To help others stay safe, I can be a model on the road by not racing others if they are seeking a thrill. I can also tell the unsafe drivers I know to stop their questionable habits. Finally, I can tell others of the people I know that were in an accident because of unsafe drivers so that they can learn from other’s mistakes.

People are imperfect and accidents will occur. But steps can be taken to avoid the tragedy of death. Nobody likes to hear the numbers or the stories because they hurt to acknowledge. It is always easier to ignore than to retain and act, yet people don’t do things simply because they are easy. Driving in itself is not easy and much less is it to take the steps necessary to keep the people around them safe. That is why education, learning, and constant improvement is vital for the driver to reach out to, no matter the age or situation drivers education is something to strive for.