A Driver’s Education

The impact of driver education has been a recent debate on, covering its influence towards reducing the number of deaths when driving. The combination of formal in-car education with a classroom curriculum has proven to be an effective strategy of reducing accidents, crashes, and deaths. Multiple studies have shown these results, much like the report put out by the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety, stating “The results showed that the drivers who had taken a driver’s ed course were involved in fewer crashes: 11.1% of the driver’s ed group, as opposed to 12.9% of those who hadn’t taken a course, had been involved in a crash”. Driver education helps prevent a driver’s ignorance on the road, and provides a safe transition from no experience to in-car familiarity.

Driver education in a classroom is incredibly important to easing nerves of new drivers, establishing relevant knowledge for future use and preparing for gaining experience. When we all obtain the same experience from a classroom and in-car driving, we all uphold these standards individually and hold each other accountable. We stress the importance of wearing a seatbelt, not using your phone while driving, following safety precautions and road signs, and encouraging these standards amongst your family and friends. Although seatbelts have become more common as a safety measure many people use today, in part due to the Click It or Ticket initiative, texting and driving has become a widespread custom for many, leading to the potential for dangerous and careless driving.

The National Safety Council put out statistics regarding cell phone use on the road, stating “The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year… 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving” (Edgar Snyder). Unfortunately, there has not been a social standard which deems the prevention of cell phone usage while driving as a necessity, outside of an individual’s approach. Even with a ban on text messages for all drivers across 48 states, this number of individuals driving recklessly has remained an issue, and one which requires serious changes in social standards and government legislation on a federal, state and local level.

These are standards that I place in myself everytime I get behind a wheel, and have helped my probability of experiencing a car accident; Fortunately, I have not had family or friends be in a car accident due to irresponsible driving, and appreciate their adamancy towards maintaining these standards for themselves and others. These steps of ensuring our own safety of following the necessary precautions of: wearing a seatbelt, not texting and driving, being alert at all times, pulling over when tired, splitting longer drives into segments, etc. There are many proactive actions that can be taken to limit hazards for yourself, but also for your fellow drivers who are out on the road with you. When we step into a vehicle, we are not only responsible for our own safety and our passengers, but for other drivers and pedestrians.