The Necessity of Drivers Ed

The Necessity of Drivers Ed

When teenagers at the ripe age of sixteen get their magic card that says they can go wherever they want, they’re off. Nowadays, schools rarely have driver’s ed courses that students can take. This is a real issue. Students are expected to learn on the go when they have their permit and just hope for the best on their test and afterwards. Expecting kids to read a whole manual is not efficient. They’re expected to learn from an adult but that can be extremely difficult, especially if both parents have contradicting views on driving. One of the biggest causes of car accidents is distracted driving, and with teenagers, that can be very easy. Taking a drivers ed course would not only teach them safe and defensive driving but also drill in the importance of driving undistracted. If kids were taught those things, negligence on the road would be significantly reduced. The obvious answer to the question “What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving?” is to obey traffic laws. As obvious as that seems, newly licensed students don’t know all the traffic laws, furthering the point that drivers ed courses are necessary. I, personally, have never experienced a car accident, not even a minor one. My biggest fear is being in one. As a 17 year old, I have no idea what to do when I do get in one, and I feel as though a drivers ed course could have taught me that. I don’t know what it means to exchange insurances, or what to do or say when I’m rear ended/rear end someone. Once again, driver’s ed courses are necessary. The idea that crashes are mostly from teenagers is very true and it’s because of inexperience. We are more likely to underestimate situations or not recognize a dangerous situation. I know someone who has experienced hydroplaning. Not many people my age know what that even is or what to do. Obeying traffic laws and undistracted driving will reduce crashes significantly but we need courses so we know what to do in situations that are out of our control; hydroplaning, snow, dust storms, ice, etc. I, along with others, cannot be expected to ask every question about driving to my parents or on the internet, the same way students can not be expected to know every single question to ask in a math class or a science class. Some steps that I can take to be better on the road include; buckling up no matter what, never ever drive impaired, never multitask while driving, and being on time somewhere is not worth the ticket or accident. The biggest thing is to understand that it can happen to anyone. Once I got comfortable with my license, I started believing that “it could never happen to me”. Being in that mindset is just as dangerous as not obeying the laws. Being in that mindset can reduce your defensive driving tactics and be the downfall. All in all, students need drivers ed, it’s a necessity. Especially for teens where their brains are most malleable and vulnerable, people need to take that opportunity to teach them these things. It’s where they can ask their questions and significantly reduce teen crashes.