Safe Driving: The Rewards Outweigh the Risks

Students that participate in a Drivers Ed course are predisposed to thought processes that a driver should have while on the road. Getting teens to critically think about the risks of driving provokes them to develop a safe mindset before they even get behind the wheel. Drivers Ed will educate students about detailed laws of the road, knowledge that most adults do retain themselves. Drivers Ed teaches how to anticipate the actions of other vehicles on the road and how one can be a defensive driver to avoid collisions. Drivers Ed puts students through scenarios that discuss driving at night, in inclement weather, and during heavy traffic, which are dangerous situations that lead to more crashes than in normal circumstances. Allowing a teen to be exposed to this information through Drivers Ed will make them better drivers before they hit the road.

The number of driving-related deaths can be reduced by every individual taking part in safe driving habits, such as putting your phone in the glove box before you take your car out of park to avoid the tendency to use it. Another smart habit to practice is keeping your hands off the radio or center consul area when you want to change a radio station or air conditioning. If you want to change these things, do so at a stoplight where no cars are in motion. Also, those who search for items in their center consul, glove box, or back seat will tend to get in collisions because it takes your eyes off the road. Keeping your eyes on the road, although a cliché saying, is the most vital aspect of safe driving. Pullover to the side of the road if a task requires your eyes to come off the road.

My family has felt the effects of a family member that has died in an accident. My father’s cousin, Tommy, at the age of sixteen was a passenger to his friend, a new driver, who was traveling at a very high, illegal speed and collided with a car head-on. Tommy and the other vehicle’s driver were killed, but Tommy’s friend remained unharmed. Put yourself in the shoes of Tommy’s friend who must live with the deaths of two people, one of them his best friend, for the rest of his life. No one wants that weight on their shoulders. The heartbreak my father’s family has felt is unbearable. Seeing Tommy’s untouched teenage bedroom being cleaned by his mother every single day for the past twenty-plus years is an image that is engraved into my mind forever, especially when behind the wheel.

To avoid a situation like Tommy’s, all drivers must follow the rules of the road. These laws were created to save lives, not to inconvenience you. Make reasonable, educated decisions when you know you will be behind the wheel. Being well-rested and abstaining from drugs and alcohol is critical. Your life and the lives of your passengers are not worth the risk.