2020 Drivers Education

Some people may assume that because a teenager or young adult has just graduated from their driving school or from their instructor, that they may be reckless and don’t follow the rules of the road because they are younger and uneducated. But the newer generation has been more educated and differently educated than someone who has not read the rules of the road in 20 years. Traffic laws have changed over the years and so have the roads, highways, and speed limits, and signs that some people might not be familiar with. In the state of Ohio, you don’t have to take driving school if you’re over 18, you can just take the test and if you pass your driving test you can get your license. That is failing to educate new drivers but also drivers in general about the rules and safety of the road. When I took my driving test I thought I knew everything but after I took my 8-week class there were all kinds of laws and rules and signs about driving that I didn’t even know about. Driving education is for everyone and properly educating people about the safety of diving is where it starts.

Alongside having proper education on the road when driving, there are simple steps to keep yourself and others safe as well. Wear your seatbelt, “seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017”(NHTSA.gov). Don’t text and drive, it’s hard for the brain to divide attention between multiple things at one time which can lead to distraction which can cause accidents. Don’t do other things that you shouldn’t be doing while driving, putting on makeup, messing with the radio, eating, doing other work. Try to take the time to do these things before you leave the house so you don’t crash while not paying attention. Know the rules of the road and be an educated driver, understanding what road signs you are looking for, knowing how intersections work, and being a respectful driver to others around you. “In 2019, an estimated 38,800 people lost their lives to car crashes – About 4.4 million people were injured seriously enough to require medical attention in crashes last year”.(ncs.org)

It is important to make sure you and your friends and family are educated about safe driving and how they can protect themselves and others. I have been in the vehicle with friends that text and drive and do other things while I was in the passenger seat, after experiencing that I stopped letting those friends drive me. I need to make sure that as a driver myself I do not make those mistakes and keep my eyes only on the road. While also telling my friends and family the same safe practices as well to keep them and others alive.