Promoting Continuing Education & Minimizing Distractions

Promoting Continuing Education & Minimizing Distractions

By: Alexia Brown

Driver Safety is a critical component of being a licensed driver, not just obtaining a license. Continuing education should be used to help put safety in the driver’s seat and distractions in the back.

Driving is a daily part of life, especially in the United States. Often times when we go through an act so regularly it becomes mundane and loses the critical nature of its impact. There is significant research that most traffic accidents occur on peoples’ daily commute and when driving in normal patterns. Initial Driver’s Education is important because it lays a clear fundamental understanding of safe driving habits however after a license is issued, these topics are infrequently revisited and soon become lost to daily driving norms. Ongoing Driver’s Education serves as an important reminder of the significant responsibility that comes with being on the road and should be introduced as an ongoing element of holding a license.

I believe that strengthening ongoing driver’s education programs and mandating education every five years in order to renew your drivers license would be a significant societal step to increase safety and decrease accident and death rates. Even a brief overview and reminder of the statistics surrounding traffic deaths each year and simple safety tips could be impactful. An online module of 20 minutes I believe could leave a lasting impact with people and keep top of mind critical driving habits to adopt or avoid. I think my creating a convenient and time conscious model, adoption would be easier to promote and enforce widely.

I personally was in a significant accident just two months after getting my driver’s license. Although I was not at fault, the accident left a lasting impression on me in many ways. One of the most significant impacts it had is reminding me the importance of paying attention and not driving while distracted. In the case of my accident an individual turned in front of me without appropriately yielding on the yellow light. If I had not been paying attention at that moment and not decreased my speed in response to their action, the accident could have been much worse and potentially even fatal. This experience also drove home to me that being a safe driver entails more than just following the rules of the road, it relates also to your diligence in responding to the traffic environment and knowing the appropriate response to take.

We can all take additional steps to become better drivers, myself included. As a teenager that frequently drives with my friends in the car or is a passenger of a teen driver, I believe that young adults should focus on being less distracted and work to reduce other distractions that occur on a regular basis. Everything from music volume to active conversations should be monitored to ensure that they do not develop into a distracting environment that adds more risk to the situation. I can also help support a safe environment by creating social norms that accept and welcome people prioritizing safety with my friends on a daily basis and for many rides to come.