Realities of Driver’s Education

The scariest part about driving isn’t the fact that we are in control of a 1-ton vehicle that needs 100% of our attention. Instead, it is the things we cannot control. It is the people on the road with us; the people who did or did not take a driver’s education course. Even if I follow all the rules of the road and take all the precautions I need to keep myself, my passengers, and the people of the road safe, there is still no guarantee. Unsafe drivers on the road can cause accidents that will put everyone in danger.

Today, driver’s education has become a business. Certain states, such as New York, allow teens to get their licenses early as an incentive for driving schools to charge students hundreds of dollars for a driver’s education course. While this is a great way to ensure teens are properly informed before getting on the road, what happens to the students who can’t afford it? In many states, a junior license allows teens to drive to work, and the teens who need it the most are the ones who cannot afford it. They fail to realize that the cost of their life due to an accident is much more than the cost of driver’s education. However, they still cannot afford it and lose out on getting the needed education, and on getting their license early. Now, these students go out to take a pre-licensing course that only lasts a couple of hours, and doesn’t relay the information in a lasting way. Many states only require students to take this short course, and others don’t require any type of driver’s education. On the other hand, some states only require teens to take a course, while adults just need driving experience on their learner’s permits. Do they just assume adults are more informed about the safeties of driving than teens? Contrary to popular belief, older is wiser only applies when you have experience in that area. And a new driver, regardless of age, is still a new driver.

Driver’s education has reduced driving accidents by 4.3% and convictions by nearly 40%. To reduce the numbers of deaths related to driving, requirements for driver’s education should be the same for any new driver, and affordable to all. Drivers education should be a course available in schools as an elective. Just how we allow students to take art, music, and cooking classes in school, we should allow them to opt into taking a driver’s education course that will count towards getting their driver’s license. This way, students do not have to worry about paying for a course just to get their license. Adults should also be required to take a course. This course should be as informative as possible, whether online or in person, it should have a testing system to make sure the students are really understanding the information being provided. A 5-8 hour pre-license course does not have the same effect.

The biggest steps we all can take to be safer on the road is to minimize distractions. Whether you have taken driver’s education or not, we all know that a phone, blasting music or typing in the navigation can distract even the best drivers. I always make sure that my family members and friends are keeping all of their attention on the road, and I try not to make too much conversation to distract them as well. The slightest distraction can result in so much loss.